


Reasonable Doubt

by tmf



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual!Kaydel, F/F, F/M, Kylo is a creep, Law AU, Lesbian!Jessika, M/M, Multi, Rey is too smart for this shit, bisexual!Finn, lawfirm au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-03
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-08-19 09:07:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8199452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmf/pseuds/tmf
Summary: Here it is. The start of a Law Firm AU, starring Reylo, Stormpilot, and the Resistance gang. This is my first shot at a modern AU, let me know what you think! This is a purely recreational work and does not reflect ownership of any characters of the Star Wars Universe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is. The start of a Law Firm AU, starring Reylo, Stormpilot, and the Resistance gang. This is my first shot at a modern AU, let me know what you think! This is a purely recreational work and does not reflect ownership of any characters of the Star Wars Universe.

Opening statement draft, witness accounts, argument structure.

Opening statement draft, witness accounts, argument structure.

Over and over again she went through her very short, yet very daunting list, trying to map out a course of action as she stepped out of the heavy air of the subway station. It was one of her braver moves, trying to balance her case files in one arm and her coffee in the other, all while navigating New York’s unique pedestrian traffic. Still, she made it to the firm in one coffee stain-free piece, nudging the revolving door with her hip.

Immediately, she approached the front desk and ducked behind it, giving the the elderly receptionist a fond smile as she slipped fluidly out of her sneakers and into more office-appropriate pumps.

“Have a great day!” she called as she clacked her way to the elevators, sneakers half in her bag already. With trepidation, she pushed the button for her floor and tried her best to ignore the stares from the much older, much stiffer women in the elevator, impeccably dressed in pantsuits and rigid dresses.

Rey knew she looked every bit the part of the flustered little girl, fresh out of law school and desperate for a shot at anything other than research work for minor civil cases. Working at a firm as prestigious as hers (theirs) had given Rey hope that she might bypass the dreaded grunt work and get to manage criminal cases within a few months. But yet here she was, a year in and still writing up summaries for real lawyers to trash or scribble on.

The elevator stopped on her floor, not a third of the way up to the very top of the building, and Rey once again could not shake the feeling that the higher your stop was, the more you could look down on everyone else. At least, that’s what it felt like as she stepped out through the double doors.

Chin up, shoulders back, opening statement draft, witness accounts, argument structure.

“Rey!”

She turned towards the warm, deep voice and smiled, “Finn, good morning!”

He cocked a grin and leaned over the top of his cubicle, which only came up to his shoulder when standing, “Is that for me?”

Rey shook the cup of coffee as much as she could without spilling it, “You wish.”

She settled into her cubicle, right behind (or next to? she could never figure out how they were supposed to be oriented) Finn and dove into her work. It was easy for her, given the nature of her workload, to forget she worked in one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. The real offices that made up the perimeter of the cubicles were nothing if not lavish, with fancy men and women who sat in fancy chairs at fancy wooden desks. She, however, was stuck here. With grunt work.

You’ve done this before, she would say to herself, no different than back home. Work your ass off, Kenobi.

About an hour into her work (which was advancing splendidly, if she did say so herself), she noticed him for the first time. The impossibly tall man seemed to be circling their floor languidly, and Rey would have assumed he was hopelessly lost if it weren’t for the expensive suit he wore. She saw him hover over Jessika’s desk and narrowed her focus.

Creepy.

Creepy made his way to the next section of cubicles, peering in and grimacing as he deemed appropriate for each inhabitant. She could see him a little better now, could make out the thick frame of the glasses he wore and how they rested on a nose that was slightly too big for the rest of his face. Just then, Creepy looked up. At her.

Shit.

She immediately ducked back down to her work, noting internally that this was the guiltiest-looking thing she could have possibly done. She clacked away dutifully, still able to see the top of his head gliding to and from randomly selected victims.

Something wasn’t right. This wasn’t his floor, technically, and he wasn’t wearing a visitor’s badge.She looked up once more to see if his face would jog her memory. Maybe he did belong here, he was just in another department?

He was still there, and still looking directly at her cubicle. Rey pursed her lips and looked at her screen determinedly. Glasses, nose, freckles, ears, and… mouth. that was all she could clearly picture in her head to describe this visitor. If he was supposed to be here, however, why wasn’t anyone talking to him? She could see the top of his head from where she sat; he made rounds around the other side of the room, peering into cubicles and looking into offices.

Opening statement draft, witness accounts, argument structure. Focus, Kenobi.

And so she did. The first of her tasks was now done, and the clock on the wall read 2:30. She hit save one last time and rose from her chair, casually draping herself over the wall that separated her from Finn.

“Ready for lunch?” she asked, fiddling with a loose thread on the panel of his side of the “wall”.

“Just about,” he said, eyes on the screen, fingers flying on the keyboard, “get your things, peanut, I’ll be right there.”

Rey smiled wide. One of her favorite things about this job was Finn, if she was being completely honest. He was a kind, brilliant man, the only one to even bother helping her stay afloat during her first week at the firm. He was also the first person to get away with giving her such a sickening nickname. She grabbed her wallet and phone, meeting Finn in stride and walking to the elevator.

“Okay, so real talk,” she said, pushing the “down” button and leaning her back on the wall, “who is that creep going around the office?”

“Who do you mean?” Finn said, flipping through his phone absent-mindedly.

“Tall, dark, and sketchy,” she half-laughed, cocking her head in the direction of the cubicles he had been circling, “I’ve got half a mind to fill out a full report with Dameron,” she said as she rejoined Finn and faced the elevator, “I’d say that qualifies as reportable creepy behavior.”

Finn stilled beside her.

“What?” she bumped him with her shoulder, “I’ll let you report him, if you’re so desperate to go into Dameron’s office.”

Finn clapped her lightly on the back, “Oh, peanut, you can’t be serious.”

“Seriously, what?” she asked, watching the numbers above the elevator doors go steadily down towards their level.

“You can’t report him,” he said, as if explaining to a child why you can’t touch a hot stove, “That’s Kylo Ren. He’s-“

“A partner here.”

Rey froze at the sound of the tall, dark, and apparently extremely important man behind her. She felt that the fact that he’d managed to sneak up behind them making no noise proved her point about how creepy he was, but wisely chose not to mention it.

“Mr. Ren,” she began, vaguely wishing she’d actually thought of what to say before she began speaking. She turned to face him, “Please forgive me. I was only trying to say-“

“That I am- what was it? Tall, dark, and creepy?” He did not seem amused, and Rey wished she could stop looking at his mouth long enough to make a second attempt at an apology. His lips, much like his other features, were slightly too big for his face, and slightly lopsided.

“I’m so sorry,” was all she could get out, and if his gaze didn’t feel so invasive, she could have held it for longer than a few seconds.

“Rey is relatively new here, Mr. Ren,” Finn said, even though that was only true by the most lax standards, “I don’t believe she’s had the pleasure of meeting every partner in the firm.”

But there was only one part of Finn’s sentence that Kylo Ren seemed interested in.

“Rey.”

He said it deep and slow, and Rey extended her hand. At the very least she could convince herself later that this was a proper introduction.

The elevator dinged behind them, and Kylo Ren breezed past her to push his level. Rey began to follow, but felt Finn pinch the back of her blouse. Ren’s eyes snapped down to Finn’s hand, and the corner of his mouth quirked upwards. The elevator doors began to close, and he disappeared with a barely audible, “Goodbye, Rey.”

————

“I’m so fucked.”

Rey poked at her food listlessly, opting instead to sip her tea.

“I’m not going to lie,” Finn said through a mouthful of salad, “that was pretty fucking horrible.”

“I hate that you’re so honest,” Rey grumbled, and scooped a spoonful of pasta into her mouth.

“Hey, on the plus side, his opinion of you can only get better from here, right?”

Rey glared at Finn, “How could I not know he was a partner, for Christ’s sake?”

Finn shrugged, tipping his drink back, “Don’t beat yourself up about it, seriously. The man never leaves the top floor, and he never ever works directly with us or anyone at our level. I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Dameron had never met face to face.”

“Yeah,” Rey liked this line of thinking, “he’ll probably forget my name by tomorrow, anyway.”

—————

Kylo Ren did not forget her name, apparently.

Rey walked into the office the next day to find a huddle of paralegals walking to Poe Dameron’s office, and she caught Finn’s eye. He waved her over, taking the coffee she offered with a smile.

“Thanks, peanut.”

“What’s going on?” she whispered, rounding the corner that would leave them directly in front of their boss’s office.

“No idea,” Finn sipped his coffee, “Cream and sugar, you’re an angel. Dameron sent an email at, like, two am this morning saying to meet at his office first thing in the morning. I’m guessing it’s important if it made him touch his work email before the sun was up.”

Rey frowned, and sipped her own coffee as she waited for the impromptu meeting to begin. Dameron was looking decidedly nervous, with an empty cup of coffee resting on the very edge of his desk. If he didn’t knock it over, one of her colleagues was bound to, and soon. She saw Dameron look right at her-no, right past her in what looked terribly close to fear.

Rey made to turn around before a large hand landed on her shoulder and held her still.

“Rey.”

Fuck.

“Good morning, Mr. Ren,” she said in a voice that was much smaller that she would have liked. All eyes were on her, Dameron’s looking like they might pop out of his head any minute. Ren’s hand left her shoulder, and he continued to speak from his place just behind her shoulder.

“You’re all off your current cases. I will be introducing you to a team of very eager, very optimistic law students that will take over your tasks starting tomorrow.”

That alone had the team buzzing. Dameron looked straight at her, as if this were her fault somehow.

“Kenobi, Baur, Pava, Wexley, Connix,” he took a moment to, Rey thought, bask in their horrified expressions, “You will be part of my personal prep team. I expect you all in my conference room at 5 am tomorrow. Anyone planning not to be in there by that time can feel free to clean out their desks now.”

Rey practically jumped out of her skin when she felt Ren’s hand on the small of her back, light and fleeting as it was. With no further explanation, Ren made his way out of their floor, leaving Dameron to gawk at him and stutter as to how to continue with business.

“Ok, everyone,” he finally said, “Rey, Kaydel, Temmin, Finn, Jessika, go ahead and wait for me here while I get everyone else settled. Ren should be sending the interns up any minute, let me get them….” he seemed to struggle for a bit, “settled.”

With that, he walked out of the room, shutting the door behind them and letting the five very confused amateurs to stare at each other in confusion. Aside from Finn, Rey didn’t really know any of these people. She knew Connix and Pava were the only other women in her entire floor, and she vaguely wondered why she had not taken the time to get to know them a little better. She found it a bit interesting that Ren had picked all of the women on the floor to be a part of this team- pleasantly surprising, but surprising nonetheless.

Carrying that thought in mind, Rey inched closer to Pava, who not only seemed less… delicate, than Connix, but she heard she was a pleasant person.

“So,” Rey began, wincing at her socializing skills, “that was weird right? It wasn’t just me?”

Pava looked up, gave Rey a very deliberate once-over, “Jessika,” she said, extending a very firm hand for Rey to shake, “I mean, I don’t think I expected anything else from the mysterious ‘Kylo Ren’.”

“I wonder what this case will be,” Rey continued, sipping her coffee and leaning in to Jessika, “doesn’t everyone above floor fifty take criminal cases?”

“Oh, not just criminal,” Jessika said, cracking a knuckle, “I hear they only do the most slippery stuff. Homicide, human trafficking, drug rings, the whole nine yards.”

It was then that Rey remembered exactly who she worked for. This was a private firm, and Kylo Ren was most definitely not a state attorney. This was a building full to the brim with defense attorneys. Very, very expensive defense attorneys.

“Shit.”

Jessika almost laughed, “There you go. If you have any bit of your conscience left, now is the time to get rid of it.”

Rey groaned, “What are the chances that we’ll be defending someone who was framed?”

The smile on Jessika’s face got wider than it should have been able to, “People who’ve been framed can’t afford these guys. My guess is our jobs are going to depend on us being able to avoid sending a very guilty person to prison.”

Just at that word, Connix slid into the conversation, “You know, it’s somehow less exhausting than defending the innocent, or trying to persecute the guilty. I’m Kaydel Ko, by the way.”

Rey shook her hand, taking note of the delicate pearl bracelet on her dainty wrist, “Rey.”

“I’ve heard of you,” Kaydel replied, pointing lightly in Rey’s direction, “You’re that genius student from Ach-To, aren’t you?”

Rey nodded, “I’d say ‘genius’ is a largely undeserved description but I did go to Ach-To.”

Kaydel seemed to light up from within, “Shut the fuck up.” That made Jessika look up, with an expression that blatantly betrayed how impressed she was with their new conversation participant.

“What?” Jessika asked through a chuckle.

“I did my undergrad thesis on you,” Kaydel said, smiling wide, “you are literally the reason why I went into law.”

Rey took her in with a smile and a soft ‘thank you’. She didn’t seem extremely young, but it was shocking that Ren had chosen a girl fresh out of law school for this project.

“No shit, Rey Kenobi,” a tall, broad man (Wexley, she remembered), said, joining their group along with Finn, “Temmin Wexley, pleasure.”

Rey shook his hand with a smile. Finn grinned at her from across the circle they had formed, and she felt a strange optimism at the thought of starting this project.

——————

The rest of Rey’s day flew by in a blur, explaining her many ongoing projects to wide-eyed interns that suddenly seemed much, much younger than she had been when she began law school. They seemed to catch on quickly enough, but she later found she had not been the only one to hand Poe a backup of all their notes, just in case.

They had all ended up in a nearby bar at Wexley’s suggestion that they bond before beginning this sure to be “traumatic” experience.

“And here’s to Rey,” Temmin said a little too loudly, raising his third shot in the past two hours, “You’re going to need luck to take on that creep Kylo.”

They all drank, and it was only after the burn in her throat lessened that Rey said, “Wait, what? Why will I need luck?”

Jessika finished sucking on her lime wedge with a loud pop, “Because he wants to fuck you.”

Finn choked on his beer, “He what? Since when?”

“Since never!” Rey nearly shrieked, reaching for a glass of water, “He hates me. Honestly. He basically caught me insulting him yesterday.”

“Maybe that’s his kink,” Kaydel said sleepily, closing her eyes and resting her head on Jessika’s shoulder. Jessika smiled and cocked her eyebrow at Rey.

“That,” Rey said, “is so gross.”

Finn laughed, “We’re all joking, though, right?”

Wexley roared with laughter.

————————

The next morning, Rey arrived at 4:30 to find that Kaydel was already setting up coffee for everyone. As it turned out, Wexley’s idea to bond the night before had been an excellent one, given the sweet smile Kaydel greeted her with.

Rey had discovered that Wexley was the oldest among them at 32, Kaydel the youngest at 25. She found out that Jessika had a real life pilot’s license, Kaydel could sing, and Wexley made most of his rent money playing online poker on the weekends. They were a fine bunch, and she hoped the overflow of energy in their group would offset the misery Ren was sure to bring down on them.

“You are a lifesaver, Ko,” she said, snatching up a cup of coffee, “You do know he has no intention of letting us go home before midnight, right?”

Kaydel smiled at the nickname, “I say, bring it on. He picked the only three women in the entire ‘freshmen class’, and I plan on sending him back to his higher-ups with his jaw on the floor.”

Rey liked Kaydel. Rey really, really liked Kaydel.

Finn was next to arrive, followed by Wexley, both men in offensively good moods for people in an office building before the sun came up. Jessika was the last to arrive, greeting Kaydel with a soft grunt and grabbing two cups of coffee.

“Not a morning person, Pava?” Wexley called in a loud voice. A five pm voice, Rey thought, not a five am voice.”

“Not a hangover person, Wexley,” she groaned back.

They all heard the elevator’s ding beyond the conference room, and the table fell silent. Jessika banged her against the table a couple of times before straightening in his chair. Rey looked over to Kaydel and watched her silently mouth the words three, two, one…

The door swung open right on cue, and Rey got a reminder of just how big this man was. He took up the entire door frame, and only a few inches spared him from having to duck to enter the room. His eyes locked on her as he shrugged off his coat, and Rey pursed her lips. He didn’t shift his gaze as he silently removed his gloves and scarf.

Wexley gave Rey a very obvious See? stare.

“This is not play time,” were Ren’s first words, “if you are not prepared to dedicate yourself to this project, I have no use for you.”

Rey noticed Kaydel gathering up the courage to speak, “May I ask what this project is, Mr. Ren?”

“Connix, right?” she nodded, “I’m sure you’ve all heard of the mass shooting at the Hosnian Council Chambers. We will be representing the defendant in that case.”

So much for a clean conscience, Rey thought bitterly.

“Baur,” Ren said sharply, “Give us the details of this case.”

Rey felt a twinge of pride when Finn responded without missing a beat, “On the seventeenth last month at approximately 9 a.m., the Hosnian Council gathered to vote on public issues facing their community. The most controversial issue at hand was the financial funding currently being provided to The Resistance, a community outreach program that many claimed wasted resources on… less desirable community members. The shooter infiltrated council chambers through unknown means, set off small explosions meant to disable automatic doors, and opened fire on the council. Eighteen dead, thirty-five more injured, six in critical condition at D’Qar Medical Center the last I heard.”

“Pava, summary on the defendant,” Ren said, turning to train his eyes on Rey.

“Armitage Hux,” Pava began in a hard, unwavering voice, “aged thirty-three, Chief Operational Officer at First Order Solutions, the development firm based on the west side of town. Graduated summa cum laude from the naval academy there, served five years before beginning with First Order. Master’s in business administration and a PhD in business analytics, so technically ‘Dr. Hux’,” she winked at Kaydel, “He’s a model citizen, really…”

Jessika continued, but Rey found it difficult to train her eyes on her colleague when Ren would not stop staring. He was certainly not embarrassed to have her see him, merely raising an eyebrow when she dared meet his eyes.

“What all of this means,” Ren interrupted, ignoring Jessika’s venomous look, “is that this will not be easy. I have had dossiers prepared for all of you, and you’ll see the prosecution’s evidence is substantial. Evidence of premeditation, security camera footage, plans found in his home, the list goes on and on.”

He locked eyes with her again, “Let’s get started.”

———————————-

The day unfolded very similarly to what Rey had imagined; it swept by in a flurry of phone calls, emails, second, and third and fourth revisions of the same document. Somehow, Kaydel managed to handle her workload and keep all of them properly caffeinated, and Rey made a mental note to buy her a drink later.

They had not been assigned desks, as she had expected, but rather they all sat a few seats apart around an oval table that took up the majority of their conference room. Ren came and went sporadically, sometimes bringing actual instructions, other times simply making a lap around the table and peering over their shoulders.

“I’m calling it,” Wexley said, making Jessika jump, “it’s been over five hours, we’re legally entitled to a lunch break.”

Rey didn’t look up from the police report she was highlighting, “He’ll probably make us order in, Wex. No leaving the building for us.”

When no one replied to her comment, Rey abandoned her work and straightened up-

-to see Kylo Ren standing at the door.

“I-“

Ren held up his hand, and Rey instinctively snapped her mouth shut. “You have an hour for lunch, which you may take in the dining hall downstairs or outside, whichever you prefer. Your time starts now, I expect all of you back here on time to discuss your official assignments.”

The room immediately filled with the shuffling noise of people gathering their belongings, and Rey grabbed her bag as quickly as she could. She was almost out of the door, opening her mouth to speak to Jessika, when he called her back.

“Kenobi. A moment, please.”

Jessika brushed her hand against Rey’s wrist, “Hey, I’ll text you where we are and order you something.” She said it a little too loudly, as if to remind Ren that Rey was also entitled to her full lunch break. Rey watched her new friends leave and turned to face Ren in defeat.

“Mr. Ren, I am so sorry, that comment was-“

“I want to offer you an opportunity, Kenobi,” he interrupted smoothly. She must not have looked very responsive, because he continued, “I’ve seen the work you do, and I want to start handing you more responsibility.”

Rey found her tongue, “With all due respect, Mr. Ren, I’ve-“

“Call me Kylo,” he interrupted again, and it took all of Rey’s self-control not to storm out of the conference room.

“I’m not comfortable with that,” she said, willing as much steel into her gaze as she could muster, “Mr. Ren, as I was saying, I’ve worked under you for half a day. I very much doubt I deserve any sort of special consideration.”

He stepped closer to her, and she resisted the urge to take a step back. She could see exactly how many moles were on his face from this distance, as well as the faint white scar that ran from under the right side of his jaw and diagonally across his face to his nose.

“Then allow me to rephrase,” he said in a low voice that made her stomach drop, “I’m not offering. I’m ordering.”

Rey felt her jaw set. Had he gotten closer…? The distance between them was borderline inappropriate. Rey swallowed thickly, “Yes, sir.”

Before she could turn to leave, Rey felt his finger under her chin. He tilted her face up to meet his eyes (who had the nerve to be this fucking tall?), “Good girl.”

With that, he was gone. Rey stood rooted to the spot, jaw hanging in disbelief and rage boiling underneath her skin. Three bloody women in the entire entry level and he dared treat her like this?

Fuming and mumbling, she exited the conference room, slamming the door shut for no one’s benefit but her own.

—————————————–

When she finally made it to the restaurant the rest of the team had chosen, Jessika greeted her with a burger, a shrug, and a “You look like a chick who can really eat.”

So she did. Rey finished her meal with little conversation, staring down at her food as she considered her options. She doubted she had a case for sexual harassment, or even inappropriate behavior, and yet the idea of enduring more encounters like this one in order to amass evidence made her sick.

On the way back to the firm, Kaydel hung back to talk to her.

“So,” she said lightly, holding Rey’s elbow and stopping to look both ways across the street, “what did he want?”

Rey shrugged and began walking again, “He wants to give me more responsibility on the case.”

“That’s great!” Kaydel’s smiled slipped off her face at the sight of Rey’s expression, “That’s not great. Why’s that not great?”

“I think Wex was right about him,” Rey said in a low, vicious voice.

“He’s a creep,” Kaydel supplied. When Rey nodded, she continued, “Did he come on to you, or something?”

Rey pushed the door open for Kaydel and stepped in behind her, “No, no, nothing like that. At least, I don’t think so. He’s just such a-“

“Condescending asshole?”

They looked up to find Jessika at the elevators, holding the door open for them. “Told the guys we’d catch up,” she explained.

Kaydel beamed and practically ran into the elevator, with Rey trailing behind. She pretended not to notice the way Kaydel brushed her hand against Jessika’s. Everyone knew about Pava, but Rey had a feeling Kaydel was much newer to whatever was going on between them.

“He basically ordered me to take the spot,” Rey’s lip curled in disgust, “he called me a ‘good girl’.”

Kaydel’s face scrunched up immediately, as if the water she was drinking were filled with pure lemon juice, “Oh, that’s gross. That’s… really gross.”

“But I can’t quit, can I?” Rey continued, keeping her eyes on the numbers that kept rising above the door, “I’d be an idiot to pass up something like this. I could practically glide into any firm I wanted after this.”

“But you’d have to deal with a sexist asshole trying to feel you up every day,” Jessika drawled, picking at a spot under her nail, “and that’s no fun either.”

They exited the elevator in silence, with Kaydel leading a few steps ahead of them.

She knew Ren was an asshole. Everyone knew that. But was she really going to let the first business-formal asshole she met ruin her career? Rey could bet her tiny apartment that an opportunity like this rarely, if ever, presented itself to someone like her. If he wanted to give it to her because he wanted to fuck her, that was his prerogative. She’d just have to make the absolute most out of the situation. It didn’t change the fact that she’d rather jump off their floor than sleep with Kylo fucking Ren. Nothing would ever change that. So why not take advantage of men’s flightiness and get ahead?

Rey turned slightly to Jessika and whispered, “I’m doing it.”

She smiled and shoved her playfully, “Good girl.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spring chickens party for a bit, but Kylo is a killjoy. Also, hurricane.

By five o’clock, Rey was envying the law students that poured from their office building. Their conference room had one saving grace, which was both the high floor it was on, and the fact that it faced the main street in front of them. She watched the tiny little ants scatter on the street below, sighed, and returned to her work.

She and Connix had been assigned to character defense. Before them lay several thick dossiers, containing information on Armitage Hux that ranged from medical records to high school report cards.

“You’re kidding,” Connix scoffed, leaning closer to Rey.

“I swear to God,” Rey said, grabbing the granola bar next to her pen and handing Connix the file in her hand, “Armitage Hux in a turtle costume for his third grade play.”

“Do they even filter this information?” Connix sounded positively delighted as she stared at the picture of a small, severe-looking redheaded boy in a homemade green shell.

“I think that’s what they got grunts for, Ko,” Wexley called from across the table, twirling the highlighter he’d been using, “You do the dirty work, Buns.”

Connix beamed at the nickname, and Rey grinned. This was already better than she could have hoped for-

“Status reports in my office in five minutes,” Ren seemed to come out of nowhere, and was gone just as fast.

Jessika made a show of looking around as if she had just seen a ghost.

“What the fuck.”

Finn laughed, “I think you were onto something, Rey. Dude’s creepy as hell.”

Rey gestured with her pen, “See, why didn’t he walk in when you said that? I’m telling you, I’m cursed.”

“Or he only cares when you say his name,” Wexley cooed, puckering his lips comically through his thick beard.

“Fuck off, Wexley.”

———————————————————————————-

One by one, her colleagues were called into Ren’s office. They weren’t coming back, which made Rey think they were being dismissed after their meeting.

They weren’t short meetings, either. Only she and Connix were left, and already it was eight in the evening. She looked over at Kaydel, who was wearily taking her hair out of the two neat buns she kept it in.

“You know,” she said, twirling the shiny blond hair until it lay in two thick curls on either side of her face, “between us, I’d rather be persecuting this asshole than writing the equivalent of his online dating profile.”

Rey almost choked on her laugh, “What?”

Kaydel shrugged, “You know, we’re polishing him. You’re in charge of his ethical motivations and mental health, I’ve got his model citizen status. We’re trying to convince the jury that he’s not a festering pile of shit.”

Rey sighed, “This is not at all what I wanted to do with my law degree, you know.”

Kaydel smiled, “Oh, I know. You forget I quite literally wrote an essay on your life.”

“You gotta start somewhere, right?” Rey said bitterly.

“Started from the bottom, now we’re…” she bit her lip, “still at the bottom but a little to the left.”

————————————————————————————————

About an hour later they caught a glimpse of Wexley making his way to the elevators with a brief wave. Shortly after, Ren stepped into the door frame and stared them down.

“Connix, you’re dismissed,” he said curtly. Before Kaydel could protest, he continued, “Kenobi, character defense report in my office. Now.”

He turned languidly and exited the room, leaving the two lawyers slightly confused and very angry.

Kaydel wrapped her scarf around her neck viciously, “Seriously, he couldn’t tell me I could go home three hours ago? Fucking prick.”

Rey gathered her notes and tried to be sympathetic, “At least you get to go home. Get some sleep, Ko. I have a feeling this isn’t going to be our latest night here.”

Kaydel nodded, buttoning her coat, “Hey, um, text me if he gets creepy, alright? Just… a single letter or something and I’ll figure out a way to get you out of here.”

Rey smiled, “Thanks. I think I can handle him.”

“Bye!” Kaydel called from the hallway, nearly sprinting to the elevators. Rey lifted her paperwork and made her way to Ren’s office. Surely he’d have one of those excessively opulent offices, with reflective surfaces and expensive mementos given to him by high profile clients.

She walked in to a surprisingly bare office. If asked, Rey was convinced that Ren would be able to clear it of all his belongings in less than five minutes. There were no picture frames on his desk or bookcase, no drawings made by young nieces or nephews. He had a single file open in front of his keyboard, flanked by an expensive looking fountain pen.

He sat back, with an elbow on his armrest, and gestured to the small table to the right of the office. Rey took a seat and spread out her and Kaydel’s notes, gearing up for her presentation.

She tried not to notice that he had left his chair and was walking over, taking not the chair across from her, but the one directly next to her. Their table was nestled into the corner of the office almost completely behind the entrance, which made Rey feel the slightest bit trapped.

He said nothing, did nothing.

Back in Jakku, he wouldn’t be able to scare a single fly.

“Connix and I believe that the best defense we have for Mr. Hux might be a psychotic break. Given his model citizen status and his impeccable academic and civil record, it will be easier to chalk this up to a lapse in mental stability resulting in violence.”

Ren opened his mouth to protest, but Rey continued, “Of course, the premeditation works against this defense directly. People suffering from spontaneous mental breaks don’t plan out an attack, much less do so as thoroughly as Hux has. For that, we might have to get a bit more creative.”

Ren leaned closer, resting his arm on the side of the chair directly next to her.

“Have you considered my offer?” he said.

Rey forced a smile and purposefully slid her chair a foot away, “I thought it was an order, Mr. Ren.”

“Kylo,” he corrected, “In a way, it was. A rude one, but an order nonetheless.”

She took a minute to look him over. She’d never been this close to him, and he somehow seemed even larger up close, his features all slightly too big for the rest of him. His shoulders were too broad, his hands too large, and she could see his ears poking through his long hair.

“I’m flattered, Mr. Ren,” she didn’t miss the way his eyes narrowed at her refusal for familiarity, “and while I don’t believe I have done much to deserve it, I’m glad for the opportunity.”

“Great.”

He stood, walking around behind her and leaning near her ear, “I’ll need to have you directly under me for this.”

She cursed herself for shivering at the feeling of his breath on her neck. This was creepy. This was not attractive, and her breath did not catch.

She tried to stand up in an effort to put more space between them, which backfired horribly. He straightened behind her and did not move when she turned around. Rey craned her neck to look up at him and set her jaw.

“Excuse me.”

He tipped his head down towards her, and she responded by arching her back over the table. She knew she had to do something; his hands were coming down to rest on he table on either side of her, caging her body between him and the table.

A very quiet, very immature voice in her sounded off. It was late, and she new for a fact that the office was empty. If she had ever had any curiosity… 

This would be the time to do it.

He leaned even closer to her and his face came into sharp focus. She could see the beginnings of stubble on his jaw, surprisingly light for the time of day. She mirrored him, approaching until the distance between them was radically inappropriate.

His breath blew past the wisps of hair on the side of her face, and it might as well have been a bucket of cold water. Her eyes widened, and his face suddenly seemed villainous in the dim light, not inviting.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Re-“

“Kylo,” he whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He retreated so quickly that she wondered if she’d be able to remember the feeling of his breath on her cheek.

“Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

——————————

“It was the weirdest thing, Ko,” Rey said, popping the cap on her beer, and draping herself over the couch.

“I think it’s manageable,” Jessika said, staring at Rey through her short, stout glass. Rey had not been at all surprised to find out Jessika was a scotch girl, “I mean sure, he’s a creep, but avoid nighttime meetings and use the buddy system- you’ll be fine. This case could make your career.”

“There’s a problem, though,” Kaydel chimed in. She was leaning on the kitchen counter on her forearms, scooping up brie with crackers, “Rey wants to fuck him, too.”

Rey almost choked on her beer, “Last fucking time I tell you anything, Ko.”

“He’s got an appeal,” Jessika said, shrugging, “I mean, if you’re into the whole overgrown teenager, big nosed- actually, no, I don’t get it, sorry.”

“Moment of weakness,” Rey said, taking a long gulp of her drink, “I was exhausted, he was close, I haven’t gotten laid in months. That’s it.”

“Mm,” Kaydel said through a mouthful of cheese, “Enough about the asshole. Any chance he’ll let you meet Hux?”

Rey clinked her bottle against Jessika’s glass, “Wouldn’t be doing this if there weren’t.”

——————————————

A week went by without Rey seeing the outside of Ren’s conference room. No matter how many hints she dropped about her newfound responsibilities, it seemed her rejection of him had stuck a little too well. If that were the case, her only other option would be to give him what he obviously wanted, which wasn’t really an option at all.

And yet, he watched her still.

She could feel his eyes on her every time he was in the room, bearing down like weights on her shoulders. She found herself returning the favor, not entirely sure why. There was plenty of work to keep her busy, but she couldn’t shake whatever feeling had sprouted in his office. Lust, most likely, considering no one had been in Rey’s bed in a solid five months.

Ren wasn’t an unattractive man, despite what Kaydel kept saying, and Rey doubted she was the first woman in the building to have noticed it. Just as that thought crossed her head, she locked her eyes with his. His eyebrow quirked as if he could hear her, and she fought the heat rising up her neck.

———————————————

“Here’s to the fucking weekend!”

Rey’s scream mixed with her coworkers’ shouts in the crowded bar, and she decided she didn’t care if this was the third or fourth shot she’d forced down since they arrived an hour ago. Wexley had chosen the place, which would explain the abundance of leather couches, incandescent lamps, and slow, suggestive dancing happening just a few feet from them.

Rey blinked through her buzz, trying her hardest to focus on Finn smiling in front of her.

“We’re free for forty-eight hours Rey!”

She laughed, and the liquor made it easy to take his hand when he offered a dance. She wasn’t drunk enough not to notice Kaydel and Jessika almost hidden in the corner of the bar, Kaydel’s arm slung lazily around Jessika’s neck, their faces inches from each other.

Finn, as it turned out, was an excellent dancer. The music moved fast enough to allow him to spin and sway her, but there was something heavy in it that was quickly making Rey flush. She knew she wasn’t particularly Finn’s type, and that thought alone made her more comfortable to move as she pleased.

The beat got heavier, the dance floor more crowded, and Finn spun her one more time so her back pressed against his front. He lifted her arm and slowly, deliberately draped it around his neck. It reminded Rey of her favorite scene from Dirty Dancing, except she was not Jennifer Grey and this dance did not make her want to giggle.

She opened her eyes then, liking the feel of Finn’s thick arm around her waist, and looked straight into the face of Kylo Ren.

She almost froze, seeing him enter the bar with the rest of the upper level attorneys. Even more astonishing than the fact that they both ended up at the same bar on a Friday night was the fact that he seemed to zero in on her as soon as he entered the bar.

Rey continued to move with Finn, and the way he followed her movements made her wonder if the label he had assigned himself was at all accurate. She closed her eyes and could picture Finn’s full lips, his dark, smooth skin, the flash of his smile. She sighed and turned to face him, trying to ignore the glare she caught from Kylo Ren before turning. Finn looked down at her as if he were as shocked at his own response as she was, and she leaned up to speak in his ear.

“Not mutually exclusive, Finn!”

She sighed with relief when he grinned at the joke. He leaned back in and tried to speak above the music, “Guess not, Peanut!”

Rey laughed and swore she could not remember feeling more pure than at this moment, surrounded by people she actually liked and feeling things she hadn’t in ages for someone she trusted. She mimed taking a drink, and Finn nodded her to the bar.

“I’ll be back!” she shouted, making her way through the small but dense crowd of sweaty bodies.

By the time she made it to the bar, the man behind it was decidedly ignoring anyone who wasn’t part of the bachelorette party that had arrived. The whoops and shrill screams almost made Rey’s head ring, and she pressed herself up against the bar, waving her arm wide.

“Hey!”

The bartender looked in her direction, raised an eyebrow, and turned right back to the bride-to-be.

Rey fumed. A drink. That’s all she wanted and wasn’t that his job-

Her train of thought stopped as suddenly as her breathing did. The two large arms on either side of her were definitely not familiar, nor was the broad chest that pressed flush against her back. Before she could turn to punch or elbow him or something, her assailant spoke, and her blood ran cold.

“If you see something you want,” he drawled, close enough to her ear that she could feel her skin ripple with goosebumps, “you should take it.”

One of the large arms reached past her and over the bar, pressing her even tighter between the counter and the hard body behind her. He grabbed a bottle- tequila- and two shot glasses. She watched the disembodied hand pour the drinks, and it wasn’t until he nudged one to her that she picked up the small glass and turned to face him.

Rey took the glass from him and downed it. He didn’t stop looking at her for one second and she could feel the liquor mixing with something altogether different to spread warmth from her belly to her chest. He was still dangerously close, and she stumbled back as far as she could without bending over the bar. Just like that night in his office, Ren leaned in past her cheek, dragging the hard stubble against her skin, and settled his lips against her ear.

“Don’t stay out too late. We’re meeting Hux at 7 am. I’ll send a car.”

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just Rey’s imagination, but she could have sworn he pressed his mouth to the spot just below her ear.

——————

The next morning was not kind to Rey. For a city whose direct sunlight was mostly blocked by skyscrapers, New York was obscenely bright when Rey dragged herself out of bed at five in the morning. She went about her short morning routine, taking an opportunity to highlight some of her notes over a bowl of kid’s cereal.

She was determined not to think of the night before, especially not the dream that had followed her into the scarce hours of sleep she managed to get. This was one of her only chances to get in on the ground floor of a high profile criminal investigation, and she was not about to screw it up for a schoolgirl-fucking-her-teacher scenario.

It was with that mentality that Rey poured herself a sizable tumbler of coffee and waited outside her apartment building for the car Ren was supposed to send.

It turned out that by “send”, Ren had actually meant “drive himself”, because the man that emerged from the driver’s seat and held hers open was a clean-shaven version of her overbearing supervisor.

“Good morning,” he said, offering to hold her briefcase while she settled into her seat.

“Good morning,” she replied, taking her briefcase back and setting it next to her leg. He cocked an eyebrow and shut the door.

Rey took a moment to look around the car. It was a nice enough black, compact car, worn enough to make her think he’d had it for quite a while. It certainly wasn’t the kind of car she expected from someone who was rumored to make over half a million dollars a year.

She went to the cupholder to set down her tumbler, and found no space.

“I got you some coffee,” he said, buckling himself in, “something tells me you take your coffee black.”

Rey shook her tumbler, “I do. Thanks, anyway.”

He seemed sufficiently disappointed, but drove away from her place anyway. The radio went on quietly, and Rey wondered if he was expecting conversation from her.

Not conversation, she thought, this isn’t a friend- it’s your boss.

“What is expected of me during this meeting?” she asked carefully.

“Observation,” he replied simply, looking over his shoulder to make a turn, “this is likely going to take all day, and we’re beginning with the tapes of his interrogations.”

“Interrogations?” Rey frowned and fished a legal pad from her briefcase, “Did he waive his right to counsel?”

Ren cracked a smile, “Quite the opposite, actually. From what I understand, the first thing he said after being cuffed was ‘I want a lawyer’.”

Rey scribbled furiously, scowling when a pothole turned her ‘a’ into a fifth grader’s ‘g’.

“That’s good,” she mumbled and then, on seeing his amused expression, continued, “for us, I mean. Whatever he said to them is basically useless. No sane judge will allow it.”

“If it were that simple, Rey,” he said, “I would not have asked you to come with me.”

——————-

“Was there anything illegal about the search?”

Ren’s voice had the slightest edge to it, possibly from staring at a black and white television for about four hours straight.

Rey was getting to that same snappy point, and would have probably exploded hours ago had she not packed a snack.

“No,” she sighed, “They made sure to do it by the book. Everything they seized is admissible.”

He seemed to look up at her sigh, or maybe Rey was imagining things, but he did not stop staring at her as he retrieved his phone.

Rey stretched out a bit, cracking the small bones in her neck and shoulders in a way that was both satisfying and promising of a restless sleep. She could hear Ren dialing, and realized he was ordering food.

“Yes, two orders of fried rice, sweet and sour duck and-“ he looked at her expectantly. She mouthed her order at him, “-and an order of lemon chicken. Yes. Right, the courthouse. Thank you.”

Rey smiled, “You are a genius.”

She pulled her wallet from her briefcase, barely sparing him a glance, “How much do I owe you?”

He smiled back and reached for his wallet, “Being a private firm has a nasty side, Rey. For example, we’re sitting here figuring out the best way to get a mass murderer to walk with no prison time. I’ve seen your resumé. I know you’re a hippie lawyer,” he paused to laugh at her expression, “But, being a scum defense lawyer does have perks.” With that, he flicked a credit card onto the table in front of them.

“Company card,” he said simply.

“I’m going to get some air,” Rey said, standing from her seat and stretching lightly.

His eyes followed her out of the room, and once the door shut behind her, Rey let out a breath. She counted each door that she passed in an attempt to calm her nerves. She wasn’t exactly sure what had her so flustered. He wasn’t exceptionally handsome, nor was he particularly pleasant. He was very intelligent, but so was she; it took a lot more to impress Rey than a couple of degrees, that was for sure.

She stepped into the elevator and pressed the ground floor button.

He hadn’t mentioned the bar whatsoever, even though she hadn’t thought of anything else all night.

Air. Fresh air.

It was uncharacteristically cloudy for an autumn afternoon, and the sky looked ready to burst. Rey dismissed it, valuing a clear head more than perfectly dry clothing. She found a high ledge at the top of the stairs leading to the building and took a seat.

It was ridiculous, she told herself, to be flustered around her boss like a damn college intern. She was as much of a professional as he was, and Rey had spent enough time amongst lawyers to know what happened to women who got involved with their bosses.

It wouldn’t matter how equal their relationship was. It wouldn’t matter if she did her job exceptionally. If word got out that Rey had so much as kissed a partner, her reputation would be shot to hell. As it was, Rey prayed no one had seen that little exchange at the bar the night before.

She sighed and laid down against the ledge. The sky was darkening, but she needed more time to think.

Maybe she just needed to get laid. Clearing her head might help her avoid fucking up the biggest career opportunity anyone at her level had ever been given. This case could get her career off the ground, so much so that she might be able to stop working as a defense attorney’s lackey. She could do something worthwhile with her law degree, instead of getting paid to help murderers, embezzlers, and thieves avoid jail time.

A couple of drops of rain splattered on her face, and Rey sat up. Maybe it was a good time to head back inside and-

Just as she had the thought, thunder crashed above her and rain poured down in a heavy, cold sheet. Rey cursed, both at the weather and at her choice of such a flimsy blouse. She ran back to the front doors to find them completely and absolutely locked.

“Fuck,” she hissed, pulling and pushing on the doors alternatively, jumping when the thunder rang above her head, closer than the last. She could feel the silk of her blouse sticking to her back, heavy with ice cold rain.

She turned to face the street, but no taxis were in sight. She’d left her phone upstairs, and now she was locked out with no transportation and no phone. She squinted through the pouring rain and saw the familiar logo of a Starbucks sticking out into the street a block away. Rey sighed, defeated, and began walking, her shoes a wet clack on the pavement.

At least the Starbucks might have a phone she could borrow. Finn could pick her up, surely.

She walked as quickly as she could, her teeth chattering . A large van drove past her at a ridiculously high speed, splashing her head to toe with water.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she muttered, wiping loose gravel off her hands. The

Starbucks seemed closer, but the rain was starting to concern her. The trees on the sidewalk were bending at extreme angles under the wind, and she could hardly hear anything over the thunder.

She kept pushing forward, wondering if Ren had even noticed that she had left.

Just then, she heard the faint honk of a car under the roar of the storm. She turned to see Ren’s car pulling up next to her, and he ran out to open the passenger door.

“It’s a hurricane!” he yelled over the rain, “Get in!”

She did, highly aware of the steady stream of water that dripped from her and onto his leather seat. He didn’t speak as he fastened his seatbelt, just glared past the windshield wipers. His knuckles ran white on the steering wheel, and Rey realized he was trying to keep from being shoved by the wind. Rey heard a deafening crack behind them and turned just in time to see a light post snap and fall across the street.

“Was that-“

“My flat is closer,” he said, ignoring her question, “Category 2. We need to get inside now.”

“You could’ve just let me back inside the building!” she said, exasperated.

“You don’t get it, do you?” he swerved to avoid stray debris, “This isn’t just a storm, Kenobi. It’s probably going to last days. At least my place has a fucking shower and food.”

She snapped her mouth shut, resisting the urge to cross her arms like a five year old.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's all play "Find The Persephone Reference"

As Rey stood in the guest shower of her boss's apartment, she found it sort of hilarious that the only thing she could think about was how unbelievable the water pressure was uptown.

This made it easier for her to pretend that she was just at a friend's place, not standing naked in her boss's shower with only a couple of doors between them.

She grabbed a bottle of shampoo and began working on her hair. She had been embarrassed entering his pristine apartment drenched and coated in a fine layer of mud an gravel, but he had waved her off. He seemed different here, less severe. She did not doubt that was due to the fact that  _he_ was home. She was not.

The news site she frequented predicted a three day storm, and recommended citizens avoid venturing outside unless in case of an emergency. She highly doubted Ren would want her to stay here for that long. 

She toweled off and wrung out her hair, tying it into a slick bun at the top of her head. She eyed the guest toothbrush, decided it looked sanitary enough, and brushed her teeth. She spit into the sink and had a sudden realization.

 

She didn't have any clothes to wear. 

 

 _Shit_. 

 

She should have asked to use his washer or dryer at least, before hopping in the shower. She contemplated staying in the bathroom until her clothes dried on their own. Maybe there was a hair dryer nearby? Rey sighed. Whatever her final decision was, her clothes were certainly  _not_ drying in the pile she left on the floor of the guest bedroom. She exited the bathroom and resigned to drying her clothes herself, only to find her neat pile gone. Instead, a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and socks lay on the bed, rigidly folded.

Rey blushed at the thought of Ren having touched her clothes, and remembered with mortification that she had tossed her bra right on top of the pile of clothes.

 

How she was going to keep this situation professional, she had no idea.

 

She dressed in the clothes. Dressed, she thought, was only true by the loosest definition of the word. Even the thick cotton socks were at least three times too big for her. She pulled on the ties at the waist of the sweatpants, tying them tightly around herself until she was in less danger of losing her bottoms. The sleeves of the sweatshirt went a good half foot past her fingertips, and she scowled. She'd be damned if she let a  _partner_ at the firm see her looking like a lost little kid. Determined, she rolled the sleeves up past her forearm, until she no longer looked like a child wearing their parent's clothing.

The feeling of the fabric against her skin was nothing if not bracing, and every step towards the door reminded her that her underwear was in the pile that Ren took.

She opened the door and went into the living room, holding her head as high as she could. Ren sat on the couch, and the corner of his lip quirked upwards at the sight of her in what she assumed were his clothes.

Rey took a seat on the armchair, with a coffee table partly between them, and tilted her chin up. 

 

"Thank you for the clothes," she said.

 

"You're welcome," he replied, tipping his head towards the door behind him, "I took the liberty of washing your clothes. They should be ready in a couple of hours."

 

She nodded, wondering if she had imagined his eyes flicking down towards her stomach.

 

"Could I have my things back?" she said, tucking a wet strand of hair around the bun on her head, "I think you brought them up while I was in the shower."

For some reason, this is what made Ren finally smile, "Your briefcase is on the kitchen island, be my guest."

 

"Thanks," she said, standing to retrieve her cellphone at the very least. She could feel Ren's eyes on her as she moved, and instinct told her his gaze was lingering in one place in particular.

 

She clicked her phone on to ten unread messages, two from Finn and eight between Jessika and Kaydel. She quickly replied to Finn, letting him know she was safe, but leaving out exactly  _where_ she was that was so safe. To Jessika, she wrote:

 

_At Creepy's place. Purely hurricane-related. Seriously considering picking the hurricane._

 

A vicious crack of thunder outside made her rethink that joke, but she sent it anyway. Kaydel was a softer girl than Jessika in every sense of the word, and Rey knew she'd need a more lengthy explanation. 

 

_Riding out the storm at Ren's place. Are you ok?_

 

Ren cleared his throat behind her, making her jump. She turned, clutching her phone to her middle as if she'd done something wrong. Ren apparently found this amusing, because the half-smile was back.

 

"Everyone ok?" he said lightly.

 

"Oh," she said, reclaiming her seat on the armchair, "Yes, everyone on our team is fine."

 

Ren's smile grew wicked, "And they know you're trapped in Creepy's apartment?"

 

Rey froze, uncertain of what a joke sounded like coming from Ren. He  _laughed_ and made for the kitchen. Rey kept her gaze glued to the double doors that led outside, to what looked like a small terrace. 

 

"Don't worry," Ren said cheerfully, and she heard the sound of glass on marble, "I'll return you in the spring."

 

She turned at that, eyebrow raised. Ren stood behind the island, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. He had poured two glasses of red wine, and her eyebrow nearly disappeared into her hairline.

 

"Thirsty?" she quipped, somewhat pleased at the frown that emerged on his forehead.

 

As he made his way back to the couch, both glasses in hand, she idly thought that one did not become a highly paid defense attorney by being easily rattled. If she wanted him to be as uncomfortable as she was, she'd have to try a lot harder.

 

"How are your interviewing skills, Kenobi?" he asked, taking a generous sip of his glass.

 

Rey took a modest sip, "Moderate. Although I'm sure you already know that I have never worked with a client like Dr. Hux."

 

He seemed to mull that over, and Rey's eyes caught the way his teeth worried his bottom lip. He really should not be attractive, all things considered. Every feature on his face  _should_ be too big to be considered attractive. He wasn't particularly built, at least not in the way that Finn and Wexley were. And yet, here she was, unable to take her eyes off his mouth. She hoped he hadn't noticed her staring.

 

"I'm aware," he said, and she had the nagging suspicion he wasn't referring to her interviewing skills. Then, he took a thin elastic from the coffee table and used it to tie half of his hair into a loose bun. At this point, Rey was convinced he could put on a burlap sack and she would  _still_ find him attractive. 

 

The thunder crashed outside, which made her shift uncomfortably in her seat. The storm showed no signs of stopping, and Rey feared that the forecast for a three day hurricane would be accurate.

 

Taking that as his cue, Ren set down his wine glass and stretched. Rey told herself her eyes did  _not_ follow his arms.

 

 

"Make yourself at home. There's food in the fridge and the TV is yours until I get back."

 

With that, he disappeared and left Rey to deal with her thoughts.

 

\-----------------

 

She figured he too was taking time to get more comfortable, seeing as they were likely going to remain indoors for the next few days. Rey waited until she heard the distinct sound of a running shower before calling Kaydel.

 

"Ko," she said as a greeting.

 

 _"How is he? Is he being creepy? Is there a coffin_ _?"_

 

Rey choked back a laugh, "No, there's no coffin. I need your help, Ko."

 

Kaydel's sweet voice turned steely,  _"Name it, what's up?"_

 

Rey covered her face with her hand, even though there was no way Kaydel would see her furious blush, "I'm sitting in his fucking living room wearing his clothes and no underwear."

The line was silent.

"Ko?"

 _"I'm here,"_ she said,  _"Did you fuck him?"_

"What? No, of course not," Rey said, "But sitting here commando isn't really helping with the self control."

She could practically hear Kaydel grinning,  _"And that's where I come in_."

"Basically."

 

_"Mkay. Well, to start off, the only reason his hair is sexy is because it covers the two satellite dishes on the side of his head. His nose is way too big, and it'll bump you when he's kissing you. Both places."_

Rey choked on her wine, "Ko, oh my God."

 _"He seems like the type,"_ she dismissed,  _"He's also too tall. Like, ridiculously tall. He'd have to bend over in half to even reach you."_

"Okay, you know what, this isn't helping."

Kaydel laughed.

 

"How's everything there? Are you safe?" Rey asked, and her eyebrow quirked upwards at the sound of another woman's voice in the background; Kaydel didn't have roommates.

 _"Yeah, everything is fine. We- I'm safe and stocked up_."

"Ok, see, Ko, you can't tell me not to fuck my boss when you're shacking up with Pava for the week."

While Kaydel went on a very obviously false account on how she and Jessika had ended up at her place ( _Right before the storm, I swear_ ), Rey explored. Ren's place was absolutely immaculate, decorated in expensive marble and a deep almost-black brown wood. She smiled at the small details Kaydel let slip, like the fact that Jessika was apparently very adamant about sleeping on the side nearest the door, in case an intruder came in. They really were kind of sweet together, and Rey hoped this would be the one good thing to come out of this trial. 

 

"Ko, I have to go," she said, "The shower just stopped."

 

 _"He's naked? Don't fuck him, Rey, don't do it._ _"_

 

"My honor is safe, I promise. Bye, Ko."

She decided to take Ren up on his word and make herself comfortable. She found a sealed coffee container and a coffeemaker that looked impossibly clean, and she set about making coffee. Most of the things in Ren's kitchen were either non-perishable or never used. He had sealed bags of flour, a can opener still in its box, and perfect sets of matching glasses that looked like they'd never seen the inside of a dishwasher.

Ren emerged from his bedroom wearing an outfit nearly identical to hers. He smiled at that, and leaned his arms on the marble island behind her, "What are you doing?"

 

Rey did not turn around. "Making coffee. Wine makes me sleepy and we have a lot of work to do."

 

"We do?"

 

Rey sighed and turned around to find that Ren had silently circled the island and now stood behind her. He repeated what he had done several nights ago in his office, caging her against the countertop with his arms. Rey would have to admit that the move was infinitely more disarming in her current state of dress. Ren leaned down, curving his back over her, and spoke in her ear.

 

"What work would you have us do?"

 

Rey indulged herself. He was just so close, and he was  _warm_. She lifted her chin, happy to find that his nose did not bump her like Kaydel had suggested, but rather rested comfortingly against hers. There was hardly any distance between them; all Rey would have to do to bring their lips together would be to tilt her neck slightly to the left...

She closed her eyes and brought her hands to his neck, gripping the edge of the hood of his sweatshirt. He was quick to respond, gripping her hips and slipping his thumbs under the sweatshirt. His skin was hot on hers, the air around them thick with tension and possibility.

 

A sharp knock on the door made Rey snap her head towards the entrance, which ended up being a mistake. Ren's mouth was a hair's distance away from her neck, which made thinking hard enough. He sighed against her, the hot breath from his mouth cooling as it traveled down her neck.

 

"There's someone at the door," she said, mortified at how fragile her voice sounded. She pushed lightly at his chest, but he gathered her closer, wrapping his arms almost all the way around her waist.

 

"Ignore it," he said in an impossibly low voice, and she could feel him mouthing the words against her skin. She was tempted to listen to him, but the knocking persisted, louder each time, until a voice joined it.

 

_"Ren, open the fucking door now!"_

 

The voice did what the knocking could not, and Ren froze against her. He turned toward the door, his stubble dragging deliciously across her cheekbone. He muttered a very sincere ' _fuck_ ' before releasing her.

 

"Quick debriefing," he said in a strained voice, trying and failing to readjust himself discretely, "That is Phasma. She is my boss and the Queen of Fucking England, as far as you're concerned. Stay here, don't speak unless spoken to. I'll deal with her."

 

Rey nodded, still working on getting her breathing under control. She shrugged further into the sweatshirt, crossing her arms and folding the sleeves over her hands. She was sure she looked ridiculous, but anything was better than having the partners'  _boss_ see her hands shaking.

 

Ren took a deep breath and opened the door. On the other side stood a statuesque blonde with a jaw so sharp Rey could've sworn it was carved from marble. She was dressed casually, in jeans and a sweater, but she commanded the room nonetheless. She blew air from her mouth up to her forehead, successfully swinging a delicate platinum curl out of her eyesight. She carried a small duffle bag, which she pushed against Ren's chest as she entered.

 

"I don't like to be kept waiting, Ren," she said icily, looking over the kitchen. Her eyes landed on Rey, and she smiled.

 

"I apologize, Kylo," she said, a morbid amusement in her voice, "I didn't know you were in the middle of dessert."

 

 Ren doesn't skip a beat, not even at Phasma's use of his first name, "Ms. Kenobi and I were preparing to interrogate Hux when the hurricane started. She lives in... Brooklyn... so this arrangement seemed appropriate."

 

Phasma walked to the fridge and grabbed a beer, mockingly mouthing the words "Miss Kenobi".

 

"Ren, put my things in your guest bedroom, will you? It's been a long day," she rolled her neck, and Rey heard a few small  _pops_.

 

Ren seemed, for the first time, flustered. The guest bedroom had been where Rey would stay. Phasma noticed his reaction and said firmly, "I don't bunk with kids, Ren."

 

She then turned on her heel and made her way to the guest bedroom. Rey was still rooted to the spot, and she didn't budge as Ren passed her with Phasma's bag. Rey turned to her coffee pot, and unplugged the whole thing. It was clear that her night was now headed in an entirely different direction, and she was not keen on contemplating the original direction it was taking. She would have kissed him. There was no doubt about that. Had Phasma not interrupted, she didn't want to consider just how far that situation would have advanced.

 

She could hear Ren and Phasma arguing, and Phasma's voice was the last heard before a door closed. Ren came up to her, frustrated and angry.

 

"She's staying until tomorrow, then flying out of state," he said, his eyes glued to her mouth, "You can have my bedroom, I'll sleep on the couch."

 

It was all Rey could do to nod and follow Ren into a much bigger, much more somber bedroom on the other side of the apartment. It was just as scarcely decorated as his office, with dark wood and stainless steel accents throughout. What caught her eye was the entire western wall of the room, which was a floor-to-ceiling window. Ren walked over to it and closed the curtains. She wondered how anyone under six feet would manage that. 

 

"I think it's still safe to be around windows," he said, and Rey detected what must be a nervous tone, "if I hear differently, I'll come get you."

 

He showed her around the room, where the towels and toiletries were, the adjoining bathroom and how to work his touch-pad shower and bathtub. Rey did her best not to let her jaw drop to the floor, and put on her best "seen it all" face. If there was one thing she learned in her move from Jakku to New York it was that "fake it until you make it" was a life-saving mantra. If you act like a homeless junkyard rat, people will treat you like one. If you pretend you're one of them, at least you can get them to ignore you.

 

Ren stopped at the door, with one hand on the handle, "I'll be just out here, if you need anything."

 

"Thank you," she said, and after biting her lip for a second, added, "I'm sorry about-"

 

"I'm not," he finished, and walked towards her. This was it, she thought. The way he towered over her and tilted her chin up with his fingers... Rey closed her eyes and anticipated the kiss they'd almost had in the kitchen. She tried picturing how his mouth would fit against hers, and shivers ran down her spine when she felt his breath on her cheek. She opened her eyes a fraction to maybe get a glimpse of how he looked at her-

 

-he kissed her cheek.

 

"Good night, Rey," he murmured against her skin, and just like that, he left the room.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bet you forgot this was an actual lawfirm story, didn't ya?

Rey did not make it past four AM when the first bout of thunder came. She couldn't help the scream that left her mouth, and she leapt from the bed. She could hear the building creaking under the gusts of wind, and she began yelling before opening the door.

 

"Ren!"

 

He was already up, and he shoved a bag into her hands, "Fill it up with food now. I've already put a first aid kit in there."

 

She nodded and ran to the pantry, looking for actually edible foods, "What about Phasma?!" she yelled over the storm.

 

"She's safe!" he yelled back, "Hurry!"

 

Rey grabbed everything in sight. Ren had a lot of processed food in his pantry, so she ended up filling the bag with chips, nuts, and pre-made energy/breakfast bars. She also grabbed a few water bottles that they could refill from the sink, if they needed to. At the very bottom of the pantry, she found candles and matches. He hadn't mentioned those, but judging by the sound of the storm raging outside, they might end up needing them. She grabbed a handful of candles and the matches. 

 

A loud  _crack_ interrupted her, and she turned in horror to see a large fracture down the middle of the balcony window. She ran back into the bedroom, where Ren was waiting for her. The wall-length window was mostly shattered, with a large metal sheet stuck halfway into the bedroom. She noticed that it stopped just a few feet short of where she'd been sleeping. Ren grabbed her arm and shook her, trying to get her attention. 

 

"Get in the bathroom!"

 

Rey ran into the adjacent room, watching as Ren scrambled to grab a few more clothes. When he finally shut the door, she turned to look at their small hideout. She was pretty sure his bathroom was bigger than her bedroom, with a large empty space between the sinks and the bathtub. The shower stood in the corner of the room, next to two doors that led to what Rey assumed would be the actual toilet and his closet. She quirked an eyebrow when she saw what lay on the floor in front of her. Ren had grabbed an air mattress, several pillows, and even more blankets while she'd grabbed food.

He grimaced at her and retrieved a bicycle pump from the very back of his closet, "Don't worry, I'm not that creepy. The bed is for you."

Rey winced, "Look, I'm sorry about those comments, ok? I'm sorry. You're intimidating and I thought I was alone with my friend and I know that's not an excuse but-"

"Your friend," Ren repeated, hesitating a bit before hooking up the pump to the air mattress, "Water cooler gossip would say you're together."

He began working on inflating the mattress then. Rey crossed her arms and looked toward the bathtub, far, far away from his arms, "Well, you really shouldn't take your facts from 'water cooler gossip', then."

 

He scoffed at that, and she decided to get working on something productive while he did. She pulled her laptop from the second bag Ren had brought in, and pulled up her case notes for the Hosnian shooting. Once the document was open in front of her, she began reading while undoing the messy ponytail her bun had devolved into. The reading helped drown out the thunder outside.

She could see Ren from the corner of her eye, his gaze steady on her hair as she twisted it in a loose curl on the side of her face. It had gotten longer than what she preferred, and she found that severe hairstyles maintained the strictly professional look she favored. She wondered idly if that was why Kaydel kept her silky blonde hair in those tight twists.

"Is there any chance the storm will damage the prison?" she asked Ren. He sighed.

"None. As far as I know, the entire thing is concrete."

"There has to be something we've missed," she said, scrolling through her notes, "Is there any chance we can pin this on First Order Solutions?"

Ren was almost done with the mattress, and he paused, "That might not need to happen," to her inquiring look, he responded, "Because it might be true."

 

He finished the mattress and capped it, then joined her on the floor with his own laptop. He began typing away, pulling up several different files, "Phasma used to work there, before we recruited her. She was head of their 'youth outreach' program, which recruited at-risk teenagers to do paid internships for them. They marketed it perfectly. It taught them real life skills, gave them a resume, got them out of the slums. But then," he pulled up a picture of several body bags strewn along the banks of the Hudson River, "Resistance activists began showing up dead."

 

Rey frowned, "Isn't that a bit on the nose? I mean I know that First Order is publicly against The Resistance, but wouldn't this put immediate blame on them?"

 

"Yes, it would," Ren said, and clicked through a few more articles, "Three of their recruits were blamed for it. They all had violent priors, so it wasn't a tough conviction. They were tried as minors and are currently serving in juvie."

 

Rey folded her legs under her and turned more completely towards Ren, "You're implying an organized crime ring. Do we even have enough evidence to back this up?"

 

"We have Phasma," Ren said, "Even then, it won't be that hard to raise suspicion. All we need to defend Hux is reasonable doubt. All we need is enough people on that jury to consider the possibility that Hux was forced. All we need is a  _maybe_."

 

Rey remembered then that they were not the same. What intrigued Ren about this possible theory wasn't the opportunity to stop a major criminal organization, it was the possibility of the kind of press and recognition acquitting Hux might bring. Men in Ren's line of work did not fight for justice. They fought to win. 

The thought was sobering. She felt her initial attraction to Ren wavering in light of this character discovery. 

 

"I mean," Rey began carefully, suddenly reminded that this man was her boss's boss, "if we go with this, and we have the evidence, wouldn't you want to be the one to bring down what might be the largest instance of organized crime in New York since the mobs?"

 

Ren scoffed, still immersed in his reading, "We are not prosecutors, Kenobi," she winced at the dry, professional address, "much less detectives. Your job is to help me clear Hux's name, and get him off without so much as a parking fee. That's your job. Are you going to do your job?"

 

Rey distanced herself from Ren, "Yes, sir."

 

 

\------------------------------------------

 

 

 Neither of them spoke for the next several hours, with only the storm raging outside to keep them from sitting in total silence. Rey worked diligently, scrapping together what evidence she could with the files on her computer. Finn and Wexley were focusing on his academic and professional accomplishments. She would have to wait until the storm blew over to regroup with them and expand on what she already had. In the meanwhile, she had Ren's top-notch internet connection to thank for her gathered research. She dug as deep as a layperson's internet access would allow, unearthing every bit of suspicious activity that First Order had ever been implicated in.

 

Rey scoffed at the third pollution case, pondering just how good the First Order's attorneys must be that they emerged from every single situation unscathed.

 

The walls outside groaned under the stress of the storm, and every once in a while debris would crash in through the now-shattered window, which never failed to make Rey jump. After a particularly loud crash, she turned to Ren, indignant.

 

"How do you even know we're safe in here?" she asked. 

 

"I own this place," he began, tearing into one of the breakfast bars Rey had grabbed, "Before I moved in, I had the bathrooms reinforced with concrete. They also happen to be by structurally sound columns in the building, so I'm pretty comfortable saying we're safe."

 

Rey nodded, then looked in the direction of the door, "Your place is probably ninety-nine percent trashed."

 

He smiled, but didn't look up from his screen, "Yeah, well."

 

She dropped the subject. He obviously was through talking to her. The hours dragged by, and Rey was running out of things to do. Without their usual resources, there was little to nothing she could do to pursue her research of the First Order. The clock on her laptop said it was only about one in the afternoon, but Rey felt absolutely exhausted. She was getting better at ignoring the sounds of the storm outside, and she began gathering blankets and a pillow.

 

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'm going to get some sleep," she said, practically rolling onto the air mattress and cocooning. She heard Ren murmur a 'goodnight'.

 

\---------------------------

 

It might have been the sleep that allowed Rey to wake up refreshed and less directly opposed to Ren. She had other, more important things at the front of her mind now. This job opportunity was unlike any other she could hope for in her current situation. There was no point in antagonizing him now, especially when there was literally nothing she could do to pursue her line of investigation. Her job, unfortunately, was exactly as Ren has said: make sure Hux did not serve a single minute in prison, despite the fact that he was undeniably guilty. She had read the police reports. She knew firsthand what Hux had done.

 

_Ding!_

 

Her phone snapped her out of her reverie, and she retrieved it from the nearby outlet. It was a text message from Finn, asking how she was holding up. 

 

_I'm fine. Ren is a jerk, but I'm getting work done. Got to meet Phasma. Pretty sure she hates me. You? How's Poe's castle?_

 

She smiled at herself. She knew Finn was not with Poe, but just the thought of Finn blushing and fumbling around for an answer. She made it a point not to look at Ren, who was still working diligently on his laptop, only on the opposite side of the room. He had pulled his long hair into a loose bun behind his head, and Rey found herself tracing the small waves that his hair made from his forehead and over the curve of his head.

 

"You're staring," he said, not bothering to look up from his screen. 

 

"Not a whole lot to do that hasn't already been done, Mr. Ren," she drew a bit of strength from the cold professionalism, refusing to let things get comfortable again.

 

_Ding!_

 

She turned her attention back to her phone, finding an uncharacteristic response from Finn awaiting her.

 

_Call me now._

 

"Um, can I use your closet?" Rey asked without looking up from her phone, "I have to take a call."

 

He snorted, "Sure. Knock yourself out."

 

She locked the door behind her, and tried not to focus on the fact that his closet was the size of her entire kitchen. She looked through the hangers while the phone rang, her fingers lingering on the expensive fabrics and thick suits. 

 

_"Peanut?"_

 

"Well, hello to you too," Rey began, pulling a particularly elegant suit forward slightly, "What's wrong, Finn?"

 

_"Were you serious? Is Phasma there? As in First Order Solutions Phasma?"_

 

"Yes... that's what Ren said, at least. You and I will have a lot to go over for the case once the storm lets up," Rey said, "Ren thinks it might have something to do with First Order's youth outreach."

 

 _"Call me the second it's safe to leave that creep's place, alright? Call me if he tries anything._ "

 

"Jeez, Finn, I thought I was the one with the problem. I'll see you soon, alright? Stay safe."

 

_"Be careful, Peanut. Talk to you soon."_

 

Rey sighed.

 

She could hear Ren typing outside the door, so she took a couple of minutes to look around the closet. Just like the rest of the apartment, it was immaculate and a little  _too_ neat. He really liked his blacks and greys, and he hated casual clothing. She was certain she would not be able to afford even one of the belts that hung in the back of the wall. This must be what Kaydel and Jessika meant about not losing cases. Rey supposed there really wasn't much money in defending the innocent.

 

A little too late, Rey realized she hadn't heard typing in a while.

 

"You get lost, Kenobi?" Ren called.

 

Rey cringed and took a deep breath. She braced herself before returning to the bathroom. Ren was sitting on the air mattress now, typing furiously on his laptop and occasionally muttering to himself. For some reason, the awkwardness of the situation settled in. She was in her boss's bathroom, wearing his clothes, and still embarrassingly lacking in underwear. She had already told Jessika, Kaydel, and Finn where she was. Phasma had seen her practically kissing Ren. If  _any_ of this ever got around the office, her reputation would be shot.

 

"So, um," she began, "How's the storm coming along?"

 

Ren half-smiled, "Same as before. It's expected to end tomorrow night, though, which is good. One less day than before."

 

The air around Rey felt heavy and constricting. This constant tension and one liners were driving her mad; if she didn't get some relief soon, she would definitely not make it through another day. On an impulse, she spoke again.

 

"Can I take a shower without you turning around?"

 

At this, Ren actually laughed, "Yes, you can." He picked up his laptop and moved to the "foot" of the mattress, which faced directly away from the shower's transparent walls, "Go ahead. I promise, I won't even peek."

 

Rey bit her lip and stared at Ren for a little while longer. He seemed completely engrossed in his work, but she did notice a tension in his shoulders. Whether that was work-related or showering-Rey-related, she could not be sure. Slowly, she shimmied out of Ren's sweats. She kept her front facing him and backed towards the shower. When she felt the cold handle bump her bare hip, she gasped. Ren stopped typing at the sound, but resumed almost immediately. Rey turned around and quickly entered the shower.

 

Even though she kept her eyes on Ren often enough to be sure he hadn't gotten a look at her, she felt incredibly exposed. The warm water hit her back in a reassuring pattern, and she allowed herself to remember the almost-kiss she and Ren had almost had. At this point in her professional shit show, Rey had to be positive that she had not imagined Ren's response to her in the kitchen. The last thing she should consider doing would be to throw away her career for some  _possibly_ good sex.

 

Rey took her time showering, using a bit of all the products that lined the built-in shelves in the shower. They were all very full, which made her wonder how much time Ren actually spent in his apartment. She shut the water off, and realized her mistake.

 

"Ren?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"Where are your towels?"

 

He chuckled, "To your right. At the corner of the bathtub."

 

She dashed towards them, wrapping one around her body as quickly as she could manage. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to untangle it as best as she could. She stared at Ren's back while he typed. 

 

The storm raged outside, and Rey wondered if she was going to make it through the next day. 


	5. Chapter 5

"I don't see why you won't tell me what happened."

Over in the next aisle in the legal library, Rey rolled her eyes. She had recruited Finn to help her with research, not to be interrogated about having spent two nights at her boss's apartment during the storm.

"Remember we're looking for any precedent on human trafficking or any sort of highly organized murder from any of the higher ups on that list," she picked a book off the shelf and added it to the pile in her arms.

"I remember, Peanut, but can you answer my questions first?" Rey sighed and made her way to Finn's aisle. While balancing the stack of books on her hip, she grabbed Finn's arm and dragged him to a table in the back of the library.

"Finn," she said as she set the books down, "Nothing happened, ok? I just need your help with this one thing, I swear."

Finn took a seat, "You can't blame me for asking questions, Rey. Can you at least tell me if Ren put you up to this?"

Rey bit her lip and sat down opposite him, "Not in so many words..."

Finn pursed his lips, "How many words then, exactly?"

Rey sighed, "He might have explicitly told me to leave it alone." In an entirely uncharacteristic twist, Finn's frame tightened. He slammed his book closed, "Rey, listen to me. We're not going to go digging around in The First Order's closet for skeletons, do you hear me? Ren said to leave it alone, so if you want to keep your job, I suggest you listen."

"This is kind of bigger than that, Finn," she said, thrown off by his attitude, "If there is something going on, we have a duty to see it handled properly."

"No, we don't," he snapped, "we have a duty to do our jobs, Rey. I'll do mine and you do yours."

With that, he left.

Rey stayed behind, her mouth hanging slightly open at the icy treatment. Finn wasn't normally like this, she thought. If there had been anyone she could trust to pursue truth and not just obedience, it would've been Finn. She thought maybe she should leave it alone. She was zero for two in her investigation, and had no help with the work. It wasn't like she didn't have enough going on in her work with as it was... Rey let out a frustrated groan. She slammed the books shut and put them on a cart to be re-shelved. As she left the library, she whipped out her phone and hit speed dial.

"Hey, Pava," Rey said, "can I come over for a bit? I've got some work stuff to bounce off you." 

 

\-----------------------------------------------

 

It came as absolutely no surprise that when Rey arrived at Jessika's apartment, it was Kaydel that opened the door. She smiled bright and tucked her curly blonde hair behind her ear, "Come in, Rey. Do you want a drink?"

Rey flashed a look at her phone- it was barely six in the afternoon, "Yes, actually, thanks, Ko."

She made her way to Jessika, who was sitting on a bar stool on the other side of the kitchen counter, "You ready for some fuckery, Jess?"

Jessika smiled, "Always. What happened in that apartment?"

Kaydel returned and put a glass of wine in front of Rey, "He didn't try anything, did he?"

Rey took a sip and shook her head, "Not important. Believe it or not, I'm here for work."

Kaydel at least had the decency to look surprised. She pulled up a chair and began twisting her hair into a thick bun, "Unexpected, but welcome. What's going on?"

"Is Ren going to let you meet with Hux?" Jessika interjected.

 

Rey bit her lip and hoped for a receptive audience, "Well, this is actually more like extra credit. When I was in Ren's place, we were doing some research on the First Order-"

"Boring," Kaydel quipped.

"Yes, boring, but hush. Anyway, we started finding all of these environmentalists that were discovered dead within, like,  six months of each other, and within two years of the start of the First Order's-"

"-youth outreach program."

Both Rey and Kaydel stared at Jessika for her interruption. She shrugged, "I kept up with the cases when they came out."

Rey chose to ignore her dismissive tone. She relayed every detail she could remember to them, passed the evening with a couple of wine bottles and two of the sharpest minds she'd ever worked with. She noticed the increased intimacy between the two of them, but did not say anything. They were kinda cute together, if she thought about it, and suddenly she found herself jealous of the dynamic. Whatever she had felt between herself and Ren had been fleeting, and she highly doubted it would ever happen again. It was definitely not the soft way Ko leaned on Jessika, or the way Jess automatically refilled Ko's glass of wine without being asked. No, what she and Ren could have was not easy, nor was it ever going to be safe.

 

"....Rey?"

 

Rey snapped out of her train of thought, "Yeah, sorry. What's up?"

 

"I'll help you with this," Ko said, "But we can't be obvious about it. If this is what you think it is, then we're not the first to dig deeper. You don't want to get caught up in the middle of it with no escape plan, and you definitely don't want Ren and Phasma to find out about this before you've got evidence."

"Ren kind of already knows," Rey said with a cringe. Both women groaned, and Kaydel began fidgeting with her hair. 

 

"I'm still game," Kaydel said slowly, "I'm just saying we have to be careful, Rey. It's going to take time. Things like this don't resolve in a weekend."

Jessika nodded, "I'm in, don't get me wrong, but we don't want to lose our jobs over this. Especially if we have no plan beyond researching."

Rey held up a hand, "If this is what I think it is, then I want to prosecute it."

 

Kaydel took a deep breath and smiled like she had been expecting this all along, "Then I guess we've got a second case to build."

 

\-----------------------------------

 

When Rey made her way into the office the following Monday, coffee in hand, she made the decision not to acknowledge anything that had happened over the last few days. She came into their conference room to find Finn with his back turned to her, deep in conversation with Wexley. He didn't turn when she greeted him, and Wexley waved apologetically at her.

With a sigh, she made her way over to Jessika and Kaydel, who were sharing a breakfast sandwich.

"What's up Baur's ass?" Jessika asked through a mouthful of bread.

"I pissed him off with my second project, I think."

"That's fine," Kaydel said, with a voice offensively cheery for a Monday morning, "we don't need him."

Rey smiled as best as she could at her positivity, and took a seat on what had now become the women's side. Wexley and Finn were avoiding eye contact, and the silence grew heavy and thick. After a few minutes, when it seemed Ren would not be coming in to bark orders, they all got to work. Each person delved into their assignment completely, with only the sounds of keyboards and pens on paper to fill the conference room.

 

They worked in peace for a few hours, after which Rey's phone buzzed against the table, almost giving Wexley a heart attack.

 

"Jesus, Rey," he said, holding a hand to his chest, "Put it on silent, man."

 

Rey shot him an apologetic smile before silencing the phone. The notification that flashed across the screen, however, managed to keep her attention. It was a text message from an unknown number.

 

_Meet me at the Starbucks on Madison and 96th. Make an excuse._

_-Ren_

 

For a few seconds, Rey honestly didn't know if she was relieved or furious to hear from him. The schoolgirl crush she had spent days incinerating was rekindling at the message, and the side of her that was conducting an illicit investigation panicked. Maybe he had caught wind of her snooping? Had Finn told? No. Rey took a deep breath and gathered herself. Kaydel and Jessika were pretending to work, meanwhile throwing her occasional suspicious looks.

 

 _Is this work related?_  

 

There. That was a good dividing line. If it wasn't, then she had no obligation to meet him anywhere, much less a coffee shop, of all places...

 

_Get here ASAP._

 

No. Of  _course_ this asshole didn't play by the rules. Still, Rey's curiosity got the best of her. She scribbled a quick note and slipped it to Jessika. She nodded curtly and passed it to Kaydel.

 

"I'll be back in a bit, you guys," Rey said loudly, collecting her things, "I've got an appointment uptown that I can't miss. I'll be back as soon as I can."

 

She didn't miss the stern look that Finn pinned her with, and her heart tugged at it. Finn had been her lifeline at this firm since she'd started, and now one disagreement had them on radio silence. Now, she was leaving her angry friend behind to go meet a possibly corrupt creep for coffee. Maybe she  _had_ caught something in that rain...

 

With the determination to return things to normal with Finn, Rey made her way out of the firm's building and hailed a cab.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A baby chapter for today. I just felt so guilty over this writer's block! Thank you so much for sticking with me and this story! Life has been happening, and a lot of changes, too, but hopefully it's all resolved now. I love this story just as much as you all do! More chapters are coming soon :)


	6. Chapter 6

The coffee shop was bustling when Rey arrived. Even in the crowded entrance, she had no problem spotting Ren. He looked almost comical folded into the chair. Rey began walking toward him and awkwardly changed directions, walking towards the cashier instead. If ordering a coffee would get her an extra few minutes to compose herself, she'd do it.

 

She concentrated hard on the menu and pretended she couldn't hear Kylo getting up from his seat. She could not allow herself to repeat her mistakes. Hell, she'd fuck the next idiot with a big nose and long hair if that's what it too to get her  _boss_ out of her head. Not to mention she was technically in the middle of a decidedly illicit investigation which, if she was lucky, would only get her fired, and not killed.

 

One thing was for sure. She hadn't escaped Jakku only to lose a staring contest with Richie Rich. She was made of stronger stuff.

 

Of course, this inner pep talk left her unguarded. She felt a large hand on her back, and the presence of a large body behind her. Without thinking, Rey twisted into the stranger's space, bending his elbow as she went.

Kylo was surprised enough to stumble, but sturdy enough to remain upright. He looked at her with an odd expression on his face, a sort of fascination mixed with defiance, as if he wanted nothing more than to retaliate.

Rey figured her best bet was feigning ignorance.

 

"Mr. Ren!" she began, "I apologize, sir. I'm not used to being touched by strangers."

 

A warning.

 

He had the audacity to chuckle, and made a big deal of stuffing his hands in the pockets of his coat. Still, he stepped closer to her and approached the young girl taking orders by the register. Rey could see her eyeing Kylo with awe, her gaze stuck on his arms and chest.

 

"We're hardly strangers, Rey," he said in a low voice. Rey wasn't one to editorialize, but she made a mental note to describe his tone to Jessica and Kaydel as "devious".

 

"Coworkers are not intimate friends, Mr. Ren."

 

"Kylo," he corrected a bit curtly, as if he grew weary of her resistance to familiarity. She didn't respond, and he stepped forward to order, "Grande americano for me and," he turned to Rey, "...an iced latte?"

 

For that, Rey did scowl, "Grande iced coffee," she said, smiling at the now very uncomfortable girl, "black, thanks."

 

She had been planning on paying for the coffee, one last little 'fuck you' to Ren, but he handed his card over first. He led her to the bar to wait for their drinks, his hand hovering over her back, but never making contact again. Rey gave it her best effort to remember what she was here for. This was a business meeting, despite her last vivid memory of him being decidedly  _not_ business appropriate. She would not admit how many times she had fallen asleep thinking about what it would've felt like if his mouth had made its way down her neck, or if she'd gotten a chance to kiss him properly. Her dreams usually finished the sequence for her, with Ren lifting her up on the kitchen counter and biting her lip, his hands holding her waist almost the entire way around...

 

"Rey."

 

He was holding her coffee out for her, and she snapped to. The cold of the cup helped center her a bit as she followed Ren to a small table in an isolated corner. The lighting was dim and the corner warm enough for Rey to ditch her coat on the side of the armchair she chose to sit on. Ren claimed the small loveseat next to her; not satisfied with the perpendicular arrangement of the furniture, he shifted the loveseat to face her a little more directly. With him sitting against the arm of the loveseat, his long, bent legs were touching her armchair. 

 

"What did you want to speak to me about, Mr. Ren?" she began, sipping on her drink. He stared at her over the top of his cup, and Rey wished she could look away. Whatever  _business_ he though he had with her, it was clear he would not give up pursuing it.

 

"Why do you think you're so resistant to a first name basis with one of the top partners of this firm, Rey?" he drawled, leaning back into the seat, his arm draped over the side.

 

"I'd rather you answer my question first, Mr. Ren."

He smiled, barely, "Anyone else would die for this kind of personalized attention by a partner," he continued, swirling his coffee in his cup, "a mentor, if you will. The opportunities for advancement in this firm are quite possibly endless."

 

She didn't respond, but merely crossed one arm over her middle. The corner of his mouth turned upward, "I know you think you're too good for our firm," he held up a hand as she began to protest, "you do. You seem to be under the impression that our line of work has room for righteousness."

 

"I beg to differ, Mr. Ren," she interjected, "I believe righteousness is the  _reason_ our line of work exists in the first place."

 

His smile didn't waver, "In ancient times, perhaps. The nuances of law in a society like ours make black-and-white thinking impossible, but it does open up the possibility for a  _very_ lucrative career," he leaned in closer to her, "I can teach you."

 

The slow rumble his voice had dropped to was not lost on Rey, and neither was the way his eyes trailed over her. She wondered how long Ren would be willing to pursue her. Surely there were plenty of students or paralegals that would love to be the center of Kylo Ren's attention. Rey knew better than to consider herself unattractive, but was conscious enough to recognize that Ren would not have to look far to find a prettier girl. Hell, even Kaydel had her beat several times over. No. Ren's fascination had to be rooted in something other than looks, even if it was only the thrill of the chase.

 

"Mr. Ren," she began, "I don't think you'll find what you're looking for with me."

 

His smile widened, "And what exactly is it that I'm supposed to be looking for?"

 

Rey leaned back into her chair and crossed her legs, bringing them precariously close to his hands, "I want in on Hux's interrogation."

 

Ren leaned back, "Done."

 

"And the trial."

 

"Fine."

 

Rey paused. This could not be that easy. 

 

"In exchange," Ren began, and Rey had to keep from audibly groaning, "I want no more talk of a First Order conspiracy. It's irrelevant, and it  _will_ cost you your job."

 

Rey frowned, "Is that all?"

 

"That's all."

 

 

\----------------------------------

 

"Wait," Kaydel said, "So he told you he'd give you access to the trial?"

 

"Yes."

 

"And all you have to do is not dig around about the dead kids?"

 

"Yup."

 

"You're still gonna do it, aren't you?"

 

"Oh, obviously."

 

 ---------------------------------

 

As it turned out, Ren might have had her beat as far as schemes were concerned. Between her regular case load and the prep for the trial, Rey was barely finding the time to sleep. Kaydel, being the angel she was, had taken to bringing her and Jessika some extra-strong coffee in the morning. The only downside to her kindness was that it had inadvertently widened the gap that had surfaced between the men and women of the group. Rey knew Wexley could not care less about the dynamics, but Finn had not let up on his silent treatment since that conversation in the library. Had it not been for Kaydel and Jessika, Rey would have felt infinitely more hopeless.

 

"Cheer up, Rey," Kaydel's sweet and firm voice brought her out of her head, "It's a huge opportunity. Milk it."

 

Rey did her best to smile, "Thanks, Ko."

Not much longer after Rey had had a chance to sip on her coffee, Ren stormed in, passing them all without so much as a hello. Jessika rolled her eyes at her keyboard, but Rey remained attentive. It wasn't very much like Ren to ignore her in the office; usually her concern lay in keeping his attention away from her, not the other way around. She shrugged and resumed her work, ignoring the way her phone periodically lit up with messages from an unknown number. He simply could not have the gall to ignore her and then text her in secret like a teenager.

 

After the third message, Rey exchanged an exasperated look with Jessika and opened the latest one.

 

_I'm not going to play games, Rey. My office. Now._

 

She actually scoffed. Finn looked up from across the table and she smiled, but he shook his head and looked back down. Rey read his other messages.

 

_My office now._

 

_NOW, Rey._

 

 She grabbed her phone and slid it to Jessika. She raised her eyebrows as she made it through the messages. Rey ignored Finn's eyes on them.

 

"Go see what he wants," Jess whispered, handing the phone back.

 

Rey scoffed, "I'm not a lapdog, Jess, I don't come running when he whistles."

 

Jessika exchanged a look with Kaydel, who shook her head as if to say  _Leave me out of this_.

 

"It's your funeral, Kenobi."

 

Rey typed out a quick response,  _One meeting does not mean I am at your beck and call._

 

She could practically hear Ren throwing a tantrum in his office, before he emerged  and bluntly said, "Kenobi, a word."

 

Rey smiled at Jessika and gathered her things, making her way to Ren's door with the satisfaction of having gotten a rise out of him resting on her shoulders. She caught Finn's disapproving glance on the way, which wiped the small smile right off her face. He held the stare for a few moments, before shaking his head and turning back to his work. Rey sighed.

This investigative adventure was already putting her career at risk, and it was well on its way to ruining one of her oldest friendships too. She had to figure out a way to get what she needed out of Ren and Hux, bring The First Order to justice, ideally, and move on to a less slimy job than the one she was currently doing.

 

And under no circumstances was she going to let her ridiculous non-crush on Ren get out of hand.

 

She knocked lightly on the door, entering when she heard Ren's muffled  _Come in._

 

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Ren?" she said lightly, holding her legal pad as if ready to transcribe his every word. Ren didn't respond, which prompted Rey to look up at him. He wasn't behind his desk as she was expecting, but rather leaned against it directly in front of her. When she met his eyes, he pushed away from the desk and approached her. Rey held the legal pad closer against her chest.

 

"I'm not interested in games, Rey," he drawled as he approached her, "I'm not interested in being baited."

 

Rey frowned. Baited? How in the world could he have thought-

 

"Don't look at me like that," he nearly snapped, taking another step closer, "What, you think you're the first young lawyer to try and fuck her way to a better position?"

 

Rey balked, "Mr. Ren, I can assure you-"

 

"You're not," he continued, stepping precariously close to her, "the first, I mean. And although I can't honestly say I wouldn't enjoy helping you fail at it, I'd much rather see if you have it in you to become a partner here."  
  


"Mr. Ren," she began, trying to contain her grin, "I sincerely hope, for the sake of this case, that your deducting skills are far better than this."

 

Taking advantage of startling him, she closed the remainder of space between them, holding her legal pad flush against her hip. He towered over her this close up, but the haze in his eyes told her she had the upper hand here.

 

"As much as I don't doubt bedding you would be an excellent endeavor," she whispered, forcing him to lean towards her slightly, "I'd much rather move up on the pay scale."

 

He was going to kiss her, Rey thought idly. There was no way he could be standing so close to her, looking at her the way he was, and  _not_ kiss her. She really should just step away, she thought, before they both took a step that couldn't be undone. And yet, he was leaning into her, and his mouth really did seem soft...

 

She barely registered her legal pad hitting the floor, or her hands making contact with his suit. He was backing her up against the door, and one corner of her mind wondered what the faint  _thump_ on the door sounded like to her coworkers outside- to  _Finn_.

 

But Ren's hands were on her then, pushing past her blazer and grasping at her blouse, and Rey turned her head  _just so_ to meet his lips with hers. He was softer than she expected in the way he kissed her, so careful and closed off for such an imposing man. She made up for it on her end, coaxing and teasing him with her teeth. At that, Ren slammed his hand on the door behind her, just as a low, rumbling sound escaped his chest. 

 

Rey broke away, gasping, "Ren," he hissed, moving his attention to her neck with rougher, messier kisses, "Ren, the door."

 

His hand had found its way under a section of her blouse, and her skin  _burned_.

 

"Ren, stop-" she gasped, wondering desperately if he would leave a mark on her neck. He kissed her lips once more, languid and relaxed in the way he explored the sensation of her pressed against him.

 

Finally, they parted, with their heavy breathing filling the room.

 

Ren stepped back from her, running a hand through his thick hair. Rey watched him, and couldn't help the stage whisper.

 

"Well,  _fuck._ "

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your continued support! It is truly what gets me writing this story. I can't wait until I can share all of it with you!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, somebody's in trouble.

Rey stared at Kylo in disbelief.

 

He did not look as sobered as she felt, and he confirmed it as he advanced towards her again. He somehow looked more intimidating than when he was barking orders around the firm, and yet Rey felt no need to move out of his reach. He slammed his palms on either side of her head, and for the second time since this all started, Rey worried about how all of these noises would be interpreted by her coworkers. The worry didn't last long, not when his mouth is hovering at the corner of hers, and his broad frame looming over her. It was hard to form any kind of resistance, really.

 

"Kylo-" 

 

He didn't let her finish, instead covering her mouth with his in slow, languid strokes. His hands moved to her shoulders, holding her gently and firmly in place. Each time he shifted, she tried to interrupt, to bring him back to reality, but on the third attempt, he took the opportunity to tease lightly into her mouth.  _That_ made her breath catch, and she resorted to bringing her hands up between them, flattening her legal pad against his chest. That got her a little distance, and made Kylo pause long enough for her to squeeze out from between him and the door.

 

Rey took a few seconds to flatten out her hair, straighten out her legal pad, and make her way towards the door. It's really no surprise that Kylo blocked her path with his arm, really.

 

"Kylo, let me through," she said, refusing to look directly at him.

 

A heartbeat later, Kylo retracted his arm, and pinned her with his eyes instead.

 

"We need to talk about this, Rey," he whispered.

 

"We really do not," she replied, turning the doorknob.

 

As she opened the door, Ren whispered again, "Stay after five to go over the Hux meeting."

 

She gave no indication of having heard him, and made her way out of his office. The world outside had gone on with no interruption, and she was shocked to find out the no more than fifteen minutes had passed. The interaction had felt much, much lengthier. It had to be around lunchtime, given the fact that only Jessika and Kaydel remained in the conference room. Kaydel turned from where she was sitting on the table, and both women shot her a sneaky smile. Rey couldn't help but return it.

 

 

\------------------

 

Later, in the building's cafeteria, Rey poked at her spaghetti and resolutely ignored Kaydel and Jessika's stares.

 

"Oh, come on, Rey," came Kaydel's voice, "Aren't you going to tell us anything?"

 

Rey winced. As much as she was certain that everyone on their team had an idea of what had transpired in Ren's office, she wasn't sure that saying it out loud to her new friends would be a smart move. Regardless of their newly sparked friendship, Kaydel and Jessika remained her coworkers. And Ren remained a mistake. A very big, possibly career-ruining mistake. Suddenly, the high that had been left over from feeling his body cage her in against the door was gone. In its place, a cold feeling of dread set in. If she had given in this one time, how was she supposed to be taken seriously in this case at all? Her coworkers probably already suspected it, and this little tryst confirmed it. Plus, Rey highly doubted the partners were discreet in their affairs. A mental image of Ren and the other senior partners exchanging stories of "conquests" floated to her mind. She shook her head lightly.

 

"You ok, Kenobi?" 

 

Rey met Jessika's eyes, "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."

 

"Look," Jess continued, "You don't have to tell us what happened if you don't want to, but we're here if you need us. Right, Ko?"

 

Kaydel nodded vigorously, her blonde hair shining, "We thought he might've kissed you, but honestly you're not acting like someone that was just kissed, so..."

 

Rey sighed, "He did kiss me."

 

Jessika did not look up from her sandwich, too busy picking off sesame seeds from the bun, "Told ya."

 

Kaydel rolled her eyes and continued with her salad, "So he kissed you and what? It wasn't any good?"

 

Rey smiled, "It was fine, Ko. It was all fine except for the part where I become the office slut who sleeps with her boss in exchange for the juicy cases."

 

Jessika snorted at that, "Please. You are quite possibly the most uptight person in the firm, second only to Dameron. No one is going to even believe you let him kiss you, let alone let him  _fuck_ you."

 

Kaydel choked on her salad, and Jessika flashed her a brilliant smile, "No one knows you were at his apartment, and no one would believe Finn and Wexley if they told, which I highly doubt they will."

 

The mention of Finn added another weight to Rey's shoulders. What would he think of her now? If her involvement with the First Order's sordid history didn't scare him away from her, this certainly would. In less than a month, she'd gone from promising lawyer with a golden record to a trouble making, boss-kissing, soon-to-be-disbarred mess. It seemed as though their hastily assembled band of misfits was quickly unraveling.

 

"I talked to Finn about the dead kids."

 

Jessika balked, "What did he say?"

 

Rey recounted her conversation with Finn to the other women, including the cold behavior she had received from him afterwards. Jessika's face hardened with every word she said, but she waited until Rey was finished talking to speak.

 

"Rey, how much do you know about Finn?"

 

Rey frowned, "He's my friend..."

 

Kaydel said nothing, but merely stared at her salad with a small furrow in her brows. Rey knew the girl well enough to recognize her thinking face. She and Jessika exchanged a long look that made Rey certain she was being left out of a silent conversation. A small bud of warmth settled in her stomach at the thought of her new friends having found such a lovely connection in each other. At least  _someone_ was capable of having a normal relationship.

 

Jessika continued, "A couple of years ago, Finn showed up to the firm, marched straight to Dameron's office. No one knew what it was about, but throughout the day, other partners were called in. Ren was there, and eventually even Phasma came. They stayed in there for hours. They cancelled meetings and had lunch brought in, and they didn't leave until well after dark."

 

"Wait," Rey interjected, "Phasma was at Ren's the night of the storm. She stayed the night in his guest room, and he seemed pretty terrified of her."

 

Kaydel nodded, "It's a pretty popular rumor that she 'defected' from The First Order. I mean, everyone knows that she used to work there, but the really juicy bit is that she left right around those murders, and Finn was hired not too long after that. In a building full of lawyers, it's kind of hard to pass these things off as unrelated."

 

Jessika resumed her story, "The next day, Finn was introduced as a coworker, and put straight to work. I mean, it sounds pretty harmless on the surface, but how many interviews do you know of that go on for eight plus hours and require the head honcho?"

 

Rey nodded, "You think he knows something?"

 

Kaydel chewed delicately, "I think he was too valuable to leave behind at First Order, and I think that whatever he and Phasma were involved in was too dangerous not to monitor."

 

They finished their meal in silence, each of them transfixed by different parts of the story. Rey could not shake the feeling that this was important. They way in which Finn came to work at this particular firm was important, and it was somehow connected to his reluctance to discuss the dead activists. Now, she had the pleasant task of maneuvering her morals with her friendship with Finn. She glanced at Kaydel and Jessika, the two softly gravitating towards each other in a sickeningly sweet way. Rey started to suspect she might be addicted to exposure to a healthy relationship.

 

\-------------------

 

When five o'clock came and went with none of them making a move to leave, Rey began to feel a little hopeful. Perhaps Ren would be forced to give her some time alone with her work before their "meeting". Rey was deep into her work when everyone began packing up and leaving. She shot Kaydel and Jessika a pleading look.

 

"It's the Hux interview, Rey," Kaydel whispered, "You can't not do it."

 

Rey sighed. She was right, of course, but that did not make Rey less nervous to meet with Ren. She tried to ignore the way Finn's eyes were heavy on her, and he eventually gave up and followed the others out. And like clockwork, once the last person made their way out of the room, Ren emerged from his office. He looked tired, which Rey remained seated.

 

"I have several documents on the Hux interview, but I feel like I need some input. We've been digging, of course, but what I really need to know is what kind of defense you want to go with."

 

Ren stood in front of her, on the other side of the table, and crossed his arms.

 

"You're probably right," he began, "There's no way of selling this to any jury other than by saying he was either insane and snapped, in which case we'd need to find a psychiatrist willing to testify to that, or we can say that First Order drove him to it, which is a more solid case, but requires concrete evidence. We'll have to drag in a company that has the resources to defend itself, and they won't go down easy."

 

Rey nodded, "It's like you said, though... We're not prosecuting, we don't have the burden of proof. All we need is a maybe."

 

Ren studied her closely, as if seeing her for the first time.

 

"Yes," he said slowly, "All we need is a maybe."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actions have consequences, apparently. Thank you all so much for sticking with me even though it’s taken so long! I feel so good right now and I’m so excited to keep sharing this story with all of you!

It turned out to be that Ren actually made a decent partner when he wasn't actively perving on her. She could see why he was one of the top partners at the firm; arguments and connections between events came naturally for him, and his knowledge of the law was impeccable. A small part of her admitted that she could do much worse in the mentor department. Would it really be the worst thing in the world if she accepted his help? She stopped for a second to consider all of the good she could do if she had all of Ren's skills  _and_ a moral compass. It might actually be law as the profession was intended to be, and not this scrambling to cover for humanity's worst of the worst. She might actually be able to help someone.

 

"So," Ren began loudly, subtly bringing her out of her musings, "I think we both agree that coercion by First Order is going to be our more solid argument."

 

"At the very least it'll place doubt in the jury's minds," Rey added, "Insanity is just too shaky, and I doubt you'll find a judge that will let us pick the psychiatrist that examines Hux. The DA will never allow it. Plus, something tells me Hux is too unpredictable to trust on the stand anyway. I actually wanted to talk to you about possibly keeping him from testifying-“

 

Ren had fallen silent at the mention of the DA. From water cooler gossip, she knew there was a reason no one brought up District Attorney Leia Organa around Kylo Ren, and from the stiffness in his posture, it would be a story for another time.

 

"Which reminds me," she continued slowly, "I know we're currently transitioning DA's. Do you know who will be prosecuting this case?"

 

He scoffed, "Organa, of course. There's no way she could let this one slide. I've been told she insisted on having this case before her retirement."

 

Rey tried to look unaffected. Leia Organa was a legend. Under her, violent crime had dropped drastically, and conviction rates were up. She was known as a tough woman with little patience. If truth be told, it had always been Rey's dream to work for someone like her, if not  _for_ her. Organa had a reputation for kicking ass and taking names, ever since she began her career at roughly Rey's age. Her fame was not lessened in the least by the fact that her twin brother, Luke, was currently being considered for a seat in the Supreme Court. Together, they were sort of heroes.  _Legends_ , really. 

 

Which meant they were screwed.

 

"Okay, Organa," Rey finally said, "So it's not going to be easy. That means we  _need_ the jury."

 

Ren nodded, with a small smile on his face. He suddenly rose from his seat, and made his way over to her side of the table. He took a seat next to her, and Rey steeled herself for the worst. Instead, he focused on her notes, pulling forward the evidence she had racked up for this particular defense and got to work. 

 

Throughout the next few hours, they managed to get a lot of their work done. Rey convinced Ren to include her in the selection of the jury, and they meticulously planned out their meeting with Hux for the following morning. The more intense these sessions got, the more aware Rey was that she had no significant experience in criminal cases, much less this particular murder case, which was likely to become the case of the decade if they pulled off an acquittal.

 

"I'll send a car for you at five tomorrow morning," Ren said, "Security will be, to say the very least, thorough."

 

Rey half-smiled, "By 'car' do you mean you'll be at my door in the morning?"

 

He looked up from the file and smirked back, "At five in the morning."

 

\--------------------

 

As Rey exited their building, she saw Finn hanging back by the front revolving doors. She knew he was waiting for her, and she was dreading confronting him. She sighed, steeled herself, and approached him. She tried her hardest to put a smile on her face- maybe this would be the beginning of them reconciling.

 

”Rey,” Finn said curtly.

 

So much for that.

 

”Hi, Finn,” she said carefully, “What kept you this late?”

 

Finn worried his bottom lip with his teeth, “Rey, tell me there’s nothing going on with him.”

 

”Excuse me?”

 

He scoffed, and Rey wondered why she’d never seen him be this mean, “Tell me, Rey. You think no one heard all the noise you two made in his office? What kind of meeting do you know that involves things cluttering to the floor?”

Rey took a deep breath. She tried to remind herself that not only was Finn right in his assumption, but that what she was actually up to was much bigger than what it looked like she might be doing. After all, isn’t this what she had wanted? To divert attention from her and Kaydel’s secret investigation for as long as possible? If this actually turned out to be what Rey expected, she could ride it all the way out of this firm. Hell, at this point she might be able to ride it to the DA’s office if she played her cards right. In theory, her coworkers assuming the worst would be worth it if it meant they stayed out of her more illicit business.

 

Still, it didn’t feel great to have her friend insinuating she was sleeping with her boss.

 

”You tell _me_ , Finn,” she began with a deadly, low voice, “What kind of man do _you_  know that immediately assumes a woman is sleeping with her boss?”

 

It was a low blow, she knew, but so was his. She could see him square his broad shoulders, and his kind eyes hardened. She could see the tension building in his arms as he fisted his hands, and he approached her, “Whatever game you’re playing at, Rey, you’re going to get burned.”

 

She didn’t answer, and she stood her ground when he leaned in, “First the dead kids, now Ren? You’re on a destructive path, Rey, and I don’t want to see you go down it.”

 

”So then tell me what happened,” she snapped, “before you came to work here. Because to hear everyone else tell it, the entire firm had to shut down for a day to hear what you had to say.”

 

Finn had not been expecting that, not if his stony expression was anything to go by, so Rey continued, “And while you’re at it, maybe you can fill me in on why Phasma, _your old boss_ , came to work here just weeks after the murders began. Because that’s what they are, isn’t it, Finn? Murders.”

 

Finn shook his head, and stepped away from her with an inscrutable look on his face, “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, Rey,” he said, “and you sure as hell have no idea what you’re even talking about.”

 

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Rey feeling much less victorious than she expected. She was being petty, she knew, but if she was being honest with herself, she was pretty damn sick of other people telling her what to do. She pulled out her phone, texted Kaydel, and hailed a cab.

 

———————————

Kaydel was waiting outside Rey’s small studio apartment by the time she got there, and she was holding a large pizza. 

 

“Sorry I made you wait,” Rey said as she unlocked the door, “To be quite honest, I thought you’d stop and bring Jess on the way.”

 

”Pfft,” Kaydel spat as she followed Rey in, “we’re not exactly a box set, Rey. She had dinner with her parents uptown.”

 

Rey set down her keys on the kitchen counter and hopped up, “Not exactly meeting the parents yet?”

 

Kaydel smiled wide and reached up to begin undoing the buns her hair was in, “Oh, I met them last week. They’re lovely people. I just thought Jess could use some alone time with them.”

 

Rey raised her eyebrows and smiled. Of course other people had normal relationships born out of normal courtships. Normal people met at work and _didn’t_ illicitly kiss behind closed doors. Normal people did not undergo potentially ruinous investigations with a romantic undercurrent.

Some people really did just meet and date, no weird stuff attached.

Rey made her way to the fridge and grabbed two beers, handing one to Kaydel with an apologetic shrug, “I know you’re a wine girl, Ko, but it _is_ pizza, and also I don’t have anything else.”

Kaydel smiled and took her beer, popping the cap off using the underside of her kitchen counter. To her impressed look, she replied, “I only _look_  prissy, Rey. I am helping you uncover a string of murders by one of the largest companies in the country, after all.”

 

Rey returned Ko’s smile and thought that maybe, just maybe, she could learn to have someone in her corner.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. Good? Bad? Cringe? Let me know! Also, I don’t know if I’ve asked this before, but can anyone guess where Finn’s last name came from? Baur? It was a bit of a riddle for my own amusement, I’m interested to see if anyone else can get it!


End file.
